Who is Axton Betz-Hamilton?
Axton Betz-Hamilton (center) proudly holds an award in 2012 she received for research on identity fraud while flanked by her parents. In the summer of 2012, Axton Betz-Hamilton was given an award for her research on childhood identity theft.
What degree does Elizabeth Betz-Hamilton have?
After graduating in three short years, Betz-Hamilton earned a master’s in consumer sciences and retailing, and then a Ph.D. in human development and family studies. Her dissertation studied the impact identity theft had on children.
What happened to Rebecca Betz-Hamilton’s mom?
In August 2012, when Betz-Hamilton was 30, her mom told her she had found a giant lump under her arm and was worried about her health. A few days later she won her award, and then days after that her mom’s diagnosis came — leukemia, and the illness was unrelenting.
What happened to Elizabeth Betz-Hamilton’s pen-pal letters?
When Betz-Hamilton was about 11, her father’s copies of The Brayer — a magazine devoted to donkey raising — stopped arriving despite regular payments. Soon Betz-Hamilton’s pen-pal letters from the 4-H club — her only social lifeline — were cut off, too.
What happened to Axton Betz Hamilton?
When Axton Betz-Hamilton was 11 years old, her parents' identities were stolen. At that time, in the early 90s, consumer protection services for identity theft victims were basically non-existent. So the family dealt with the consequences as best they could. But when Axton Betz-Hamilton got to college, she realized that her identity had been stolen, too. In fact, her credit score was in the lowest 2%. As she was working to restore her credit, she inadvertently discovered who had stolen the family's identity: a woman named Pam Elliot. And knowing it was Pam Elliot would change everything for Axton Betz-Hamilton.
Who stole Axton's identity?
As she was working to restore her credit, she inadvertently discovered who had stolen the family's identity: a woman named Pam Elliot.
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How old was Axton Betz Hamilton when her parents were stolen?
When Axton Betz-Hamilton was 11 years old, her parents’ identities were stolen, but at that time consumer protection services for identity theft victims were basically non-existent. So the family dealt with the consequences as best they could.
Who stole Axton's identity?
As she was working to restore her credit, she inadvertently discovered who had stolen the family’s identity: a woman named Pam Elliot.
How long did Axton Betz Hamilton spend trying to track down an identity thief?
Axton Betz-Hamilton spent 20 years trying to track down an identity thief that wreaked havoc on her family, only to discover the truth was uglier than she'd imagined. When Axton Betz-Hamilton applied for a credit card for the first time, in college, she had a credit score of 380.
What credit score did Axton Betz Hamilton have?
When Axton Betz-Hamilton applied for a credit card for the first time, in college, she had a credit score of 380.
What did Betz Hamilton do as a teenager?
As a teen, Betz-Hamilton remembers scaring a plumber off the property with a butcher knife. That upbringing, and the realization that she’d been involved for years without knowing it, pushed Betz-Hamilton to study identity theft in college.
Did Betz Hamilton escape?
Betz-Hamilton had just left home, but there was no escape.
What was Axton Betz Hamilton's research award?
In the summer of 2012, Axton Betz-Hamilton was given an award for her research on childhood identity theft. As a kid, she and her family had been the victims of an identity thief, and Betz-Hamilton, ...
How old was Betz Hamilton when she opened her first credit card?
The first credit card was opened when she was 11 years old. She called her mom, distraught.
What did Betz Hamilton say to her father?
One spring evening Betz-Hamilton announced to her father: “One day, I am going to figure out who is doing this to us, and we won’t have to live like this anymore.”
Why did Pam open another PO box?
She opened another PO box two towns over in Albany to outwit whoever was stealing the mail. At some point, Pam began referring to what was happening to the family as identity theft.
How much did Pam's father give her?
Worst of all, she found that while her father had been giving her mother $11,000 a semester for her schooling, Pam had been pocketing most of it, leaving her with over $100,000 in school loans to pay.
When did Betz Hamilton's mom tell her she had a lump under her arm?
In August 2012, when Betz-Hamilton was 30, her mom told her she had found a giant lump under her arm and was worried about her health.
How many pairs of shoes did the girl find under the bed?
She found piles of cheap costume jewelry throughout the house and over 40 pairs of cheap high-heeled shoes under the bed.
