You ’ve seen it in movies . The maltreated wife fakes her owndeathand take up over in a new town . Amobinformant gets coiffe up in theWitness Protection Program . Someonesteals your identity , wreaks havoc on your life and wedge you to become someone else . Changing your personal identity and starting over is a common motive in books and movies . But is it possible to do so in literal life sentence ?

The quick answer is that no , you ca n’t completely erase your identity in this day and age – unless the administration does it for you . de jure alter your name is n’t too difficult . Legally change yourSocial Security number(SSN ) is potential as well , but only under sealed circumstances . But even if you do modify your name and SSN , the system will still have records that link the " newfangled " you to the " old " you .

So who would want to wipe out their identity anyway ? Probably a lot of people . Maybe you ’ve acquire a prominent amount ofdebtand think an identity change will allow you to escape your creditors . unhappily , this is n’t the case – you ’ll be found out finally . Perhaps you really are a victim of abuse or identity larceny and it ’s the only alternative . These are two reasons the government activity recognize as legitimate .

There are many services advertising on theInternetthat claim to be able-bodied to alter your identity completely and provide you with the digest documentation . A little probe reveals that these are mostly cozenage . They ’ll take your money and ship you a spoilt fake ID or issue the same set of documentation to multiple customers . In the old days , paper trippingwas an illegal , but literal , way to convert your identity . In a paper misstep scam , one would find the gravestone of an babe that was contain around the same time and presume his or her identity . You could even get an I.D. card after you provided a forged birth certificate . Modern computer record book keeping has render this shady practice obsolete .

Your best wager if you want to erase your identity operator and start over is to change your name legally , move far off , take up a different professing and set forth a new life . you’re able to even create a new persona – from the way you habilitate to your emphasis and gait .

In this clause , we ’ll look at the effectual ways to switch your name and Social Security numeral .

Changing Your Name and Social Security Number

The first step to create the raw you is to alter the name your parents gave you . Why stick with John Smith when you may be converted as Abner Zanzibar ? A name change is completely sound and very uncouth . The routine for changing your name varies by state , so you need to check with your county court or on the Internet to observe out the exact dance step you need to follow .

Here in Georgia where HowStuffWorks is based , you ask to fill out a petition request the change . This form let in the reason that you need to exchange your name . The court will then run an ad in the official county harmonium once a workweek for the next month to see if anyone has an remonstrance to the request . An Hammond organ is just a fancy name fornewspaperor bulletin . If there are no remonstrance after 30 days , the court will then rule on the name change . Then all you need to do is pay the miserable , low toll of $ 39.95 and you ’re officially a fresh mortal . If someone objects , then the court of law hears the disputation and make the judgment . After you pay , you ’re issued an official text file that you ’ll ask to get your name changed everywhere else – bank , number one wood ’s licence , course credit carte , policy andSocial Security Administration .

Changing yourSocial Security number(SSN ) is also legal , but you must be able to show that your old number is being misused by someone else or that you ’re a victim of domestic ferocity . So for the purposes of simply " commence over , " you wo n’t be capable to change your SSN legally . If you ’re a domestic violence subsister or victim ofidentity theft , you must prove to the Social Security Administration ( SSA ) that these misdeeds have taken place . For identity theft , you must also prove that you ’ve tucker all other means for finish the culprit . you could call the SSA toll - detached to get more entropy at 1 - 800 - 772 - 1213 or visit your localSocial Security federal agency . [ source : SocialSecurityOnline ] .

You should keep in mind that changing your SSN can also make a lot of trouble . All your previous info will still be associated with your onetime numeral , including your credit history . have no deferred payment history will make it difficult to get a new line of credit . The IRS and Department of Motor Vehicles will still have your information stored under your old numeral as well . So if you change your name and your SSN , you ’ll be create a big bureaucratic mint for yourself . Of of course , if you ’re dangle out , incite far away and in truth start over , you may not manage too much . Just do n’t expect to extend on with a great job and financial portfolio without having to deal with issues from your past life .

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