SOCIAL SECURITY NUMBER FRAUD AND ABUSE BEING COMMITTED BY MARYLAND STATE GOVERNMENT

December 4, 2004 – Press Release TMA INTERNATIONAL TRUSTS

UNCOVERS SOCIAL SECURITY NUMBER FRAUD AND ABUSE BEING COMMITTED BY MARYLAND STATE GOVERNMENT MARYLAND DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION, THROUGH THE MARYLAND MOTOR VEHICLE ADMINISTRATION (MVA), HAS BEEN ILLEGALLY COLLECTING SOCIAL SECURITY NUMBERS FOR SEVERAL YEARS, VIA A FRAUDULENT SCHEME.

TMA International Trusts (TMA) has uncovered evidence that demonstrates the Maryland Motor Vehicle Administration (MVA) has been illegally collecting social security numbers, part and parcel to a fraudulent scheme. TMA put the MVA on written notice a year ago, however, as of December 2004, MVA, the Maryland Department of Transportation and the State continue to commit fraud in conjunction with the collection of social security numbers in the application process at MVA for a driver’s license. The MVA Policy whereby they require your social security number when applying for a Maryland Driver’s License triggers two misdemeanor criminal charges [state & federal] and two federal felony statutes. The Maryland Attorney General’s Office is covering up the fraud and corruption being committed against Maryland Citizens. Secretary of Transportation, Robert L. Flanagan, and MVA Administrator, David H. Hugel, are both ignoring the flagrant violations. TMA requested the Maryland Attorney General’s Office to explain MVA’s Policy but received no response. TMA has filed a complaint with the State Prosecutor’s Office and intends to pursue federal criminal charges through the U.S. Attorney’s Office. This is the second example of social security number abuse discovered in Maryland by TMA. Recently TMA discovered Maryland sanctioning social security number theft by Western Union (WU) and MoneyGram (MG), part and parcel to a fraudulent scheme connected to money transfers. Maryland has refused to stop the abuse, or enforce its own law [8-301. Identity Fraud] that makes the policy of WU and MG illegal. TMA has committed to stop the abuse of Maryland Citizens by the State Government and others like Western Union and MoneyGram regarding personal, private, social security account numbers.