National Student Clearing House dilemma

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A user shared a troubling situation involving their cousin who used their Social Security number (SSN) to teach and enroll in college without their knowledge. This has created concerns about how medical schools might view their academic history, as records show the user enrolled with a low GPA. The discussion emphasizes the importance of rectifying this issue before applying to medical school, suggesting that the cousin should provide a letter to the National Student Clearinghouse to clarify the situation. If the cousin is unwilling, legal assistance may be necessary. Participants stressed that ignoring the problem could lead to severe consequences, including being perceived as complicit in identity theft. Some suggested that obtaining a new SSN might be an option, but the user reported difficulties in doing so. The consensus is that legal advice is crucial, as resolving the fraudulent records will likely require formal intervention and could involve implications for the user's family.
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Several years ago, my parents allowed my cousin from Canada who was in the States illegally to use my social to teach tennis at a local community college. He needed an SSN to get paid. We we born on the same day and have somewhat similar names. He taught tennis for a semester, got paid and went back to Canada.

Unknown to me, he entered the US again the next year, enrolled at the same community college this time as a student using my social. He took a year's worth of classes before he went back to Canada.

When I heard of the National Student Clearing House, it got me worried. Because medical schools check for enrollment with the National Student Clearing House. They will show me as having enrolled at a community college when I was 19 and getting 30 credits with a 2.1 GPA. But this is not me - this is my cousin who used my social.

Medical schools are very wary of making an offer to anyone with an iffy background. What do I do about this mess now without getting my family into trouble?
 
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You need your cousin to write you a letter detailing what he did and submit it to the clearinghouse to expunge the records. You need to do this before you apply to med school. If he won't do it, you need to do it through an attorney. You then need the clearinghouse to send you a letter acknowledging that they know about it.

You should worry more about your life's future than about getting a cousin in trouble for doing something wrong. If you loose out on a carreer in medicine, how will he make it up to you?
 
Your parents are idiots. You need to get them to rectify the problem that they made for you.
 
cristo said:
Your parents are idiots. You need to get them to rectify the problem that they made for you.

A drunk driver slammed into my mother and she is permanently in a nursing home. They cannot help me and I don't want to complicate their lives more.
 
That's unfortunate to hear about your mother but tbh you're royally screwed unless you fix this problem. You're in a legally messed up situation and unless you can get a letter from your parents and your cousin stating what they did and that you should not be held responsible for their actions then I can't see this problem ever being fixed. Even with the letters I am still uneasy about whether or not you will be ok.
 
First off, does anyone know exactly how much medical schools may be able to find about me?
 
Do universities provide the National Student Clearinghouse with student social security numbers?
 
lurkerlurker said:
First off, does anyone know exactly how much medical schools may be able to find about me?
This is a wrong question to ask.
 
  • #10
I meant, how much can they find out about me through the National Student Clearinghouse?
 
  • #11
Lurker are you thinking about working around this without rectifying it? Or are you worrying that if you try to fix this you will look like you did something illegal?
 
  • #12
HeLiXe said:
Lurker are you thinking about working around this without rectifying it? Or are you worrying that if you try to fix this you will look like you did something illegal?

Well, they say, if it ain't broke, don't fix it. I am just trying to find out if medical schools know that much. I don't want to get into deeper problems.
 
  • #13
lurkerlurker said:
Well, they say, if it ain't broke, don't fix it. I am just trying to find out if medical schools know that much. I don't want to get into deeper problems.
You say one thing, but then you seem to want to do another.
 
  • #14
Yeah I have to agree with Ryker.

It's broke...so broke and you really should fix it. Right now you are in a good position to clear things up, your cousin used your social for something without you knowing. If you try to circumvent rectifying things and are discovered you will have much deeper problems.
 
  • #15
Ryker said:
You say one thing, but then you seem to want to do another.

Well, students exaggerate and say medical schools look for you on Facebook, MySpace, they google you, and most of that is untrue from a talk that two medical Deans gave at my university a year ago. Maybe they don't even bother with the National Student Clearinghouse. And even if I try to get my own data, I first need to type in a university's name to get my records from that university. Maybe medical schools have to do something similar. So it would be impossible for them to search thousands of universities for me. I just need to have more details of the whole process before I risk putting my family in any trouble, that's all.
 
  • #16
I think this is the wrong forum, wrong question, and wrong intention. You should contact an attorney or other qualified professional to help you sort this problem.
 
  • #17
Perhaps you could anonymously ask people at several medical schools to which you are not applying whether or not they check with the clearing-house. If a significant portion of them don't, I wouldn't pursue the matter further. However, if a lot of them do check, then you should either append an addendum to your application explaining the situation, or try to resolve the situation by legal means. The latter option is sure to be a huge hassle, though (at the very least), so should be avoided if possible.
 
  • #18
I agree with Pyrrhus
 
  • #19
Begoner said:
Perhaps you could anonymously ask people at several medical schools to which you are not applying whether or not they check with the clearing-house. If a significant portion of them don't, I wouldn't pursue the matter further. However, if a lot of them do check, then you should either append an addendum to your application explaining the situation, or try to resolve the situation by legal means. The latter option is sure to be a huge hassle, though (at the very least), so should be avoided if possible.

Thanks - I love this advice. So simple and I had never even thought of it.
 
  • #20
I'd personally get a new SSN! Who the hell uses someone elses SSN WITHOUT THEM KNOWING (I'm talking about the 2nd time when you didn't know).

If he did it once, whose to say he wouldn't do it again?

It's fairly easy to get a new SSN as well; I believe they simply attach an extra number to the end of your SSN.

Of course, that's simply what I feel you should do as far as the SSN goes. This student clearing house is a whole other story. You absolutely should get it cleared up.
 
  • #21
Pengwuino said:
I'd personally get a new SSN! Who the hell uses someone elses SSN WITHOUT THEM KNOWING (I'm talking about the 2nd time when you didn't know).

If he did it once, whose to say he wouldn't do it again?

It's fairly easy to get a new SSN as well; I believe they simply attach an extra number to the end of your SSN.

I wasn't allowed to get a new SSN. The SS Office said it's almost impossible to get a new SSN. And no, they don't add an extra number at the end.
 
  • #22
Begoner said:
Perhaps you could anonymously ask people at several medical schools to which you are not applying whether or not they check with the clearing-house. If a significant portion of them don't, I wouldn't pursue the matter further. However, if a lot of them do check, then you should either append an addendum to your application explaining the situation, or try to resolve the situation by legal means. The latter option is sure to be a huge hassle, though (at the very least), so should be avoided if possible.

Don't do this! Your application will go strait to the bottom or into a trash can. Get the official records fixed. You may as well check the "felon" box. They'll think you may be lying about bad grades and won't chance it.
 
  • #23
It is possible to get a new SSN, but to get one you need to tell them the truth.

Right now, the case can be made that you are a victim of identity theft. The longer you shield your cousin, the more it looks like you are an accessory to identity theft. How do you think that will affect your chances for medical school.
 
  • #24
lurkerlurker said:
I wasn't allowed to get a new SSN. The SS Office said it's almost impossible to get a new SSN. And no, they don't add an extra number at the end.

Nonsense. Identify theft can compromise SSNs, they do have a procedure to attain a new one. Tell them exactly what happened, you've been the victim of identity theft and your SSN needs to be changed.

http://www.ssa.gov/pubs/10064.html

Social Security Administration said:
Should you get a new Social Security number?

If you have done all you can to fix the problems resulting from misuse of your Social Security number and someone still is using your number, we may assign you a new number.

If you decide to apply for a new number, you will need to prove your age, U.S. citizenship or lawful immigration status and identity. For more information, ask for Your Social Security Number And Card (Publication Number 05-10002). You also will need to provide evidence that you still are being disadvantaged by the misuse.

Keep in mind that a new number probably will not solve all your problems. This is because other governmental agencies (such as the Internal Revenue Service and state motor vehicle agencies) and private businesses (such as banks and credit reporting companies) likely will have records under your old number. Also, because credit reporting companies use the number, along with other personal information, to identify your credit record, using a new number will not guarantee you a fresh start. This is especially true if your other personal information, such as your name and address, remains the same.
 
  • #25
Pengwuino said:
Nonsense. Identify theft can compromise SSNs, they do have a procedure to attain a new one. Tell them exactly what happened, you've been the victim of identity theft and your SSN needs to be changed.

http://www.ssa.gov/pubs/10064.html

I went to the SSN Office today. They won't issue me a new number.
 
  • #26
Did you tell them the truth? That your number is being used fraudulently by your cousin?
 
  • #27
Vanadium 50 said:
Did you tell them the truth? That your number is being used fraudulently by your cousin?

Yes that is exactly what I told them.
 
  • #28
lurkerlurker said:
Yes that is exactly what I told them.

I would have just said "I'm a victim of identity theft." And show evidence that you couldn't have been enrolled at the community college. There is no need to do anything more. You're the victim.

Don't mention the cousin, or your parents. Plead the 5th and remember the three Ds: Deny, Deny, Deny.
 
  • #29
streeters said:
I would have just said "I'm a victim of identity theft." And show evidence that you couldn't have been enrolled at the community college. There is no need to do anything more. You're the victim.

Don't mention the cousin, or your parents. Plead the 5th and remember the three Ds: Deny, Deny, Deny.

I told them all that, plus I also told them about my cousin. They still said no and that a new SSN is given in extremely rare cases. I asked for a supervisor and the main person at that office told me the same thing. (Incidentally, has anyone noticed that asking for a supervisor never helps)
 
  • #30
You can change your SSN, but in most cases it isn't recommended. See http://www.ssa.gov/pubs/10064.html. You do need to contact the college records office, and inform them that your records there are fradulent. They aren't likely to believe you. If they don't delete your fake records, you'll need to talk to a lawyer at that point. Most likely, you'll need to demonstrate to a court that the records are fake. Again, this will be hard to do, and your mother and cousin may be implicated in identity fraud charges. These are things you need to discuss with a lawyer.

In any case, assuming the school won't just willfully delete the records, you can't solve the problem on your own, and probably no one here can give you legal advice. What you need to do is get a lawyer who specializes in identity fraud, or contact one of the major groups who work with identity theft victims. These groups are used to working with people in strange financial situations, so they shouldn't require money upfront if you don't have that kind of money. You should expect this will be an expensive affair, though. On the other hand, so long as the evidence is on your side, I can't imagine a school would actually take this to a trial, so a quick settlement is likely.
 
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