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Certificates and Vital Records
Identity Theft and Vital Records
Vital records, such as certificates of birth and death, are legal government-issued documents. While most requests for vital records are honest attempts to acquire one's own personal documentation, some are not; some are attempts to co-opt someone else's name.
Appropriating someone else's information and obtaining these legal documents fraudulently is a crime and can lead to a multitude of illegal activities. Using the documents to falsely identify one's self can lead to the issuance of a driver's license and a social security number, opening avenues to:
- credit card fraud;
- bank fraud;
- mail theft;
- tax fraud;
- social security/insurance fraud; and
- illegally obtaining a passport.
The Vital Records office staff wants to protect you and your family from this type of crime by authenticating claims of identity. That is why we require
specific documentation before we can issue these records.
If your birth or death certificate is lost, stolen or misplaced
please use the form below:
Protect Yourself
To prevent becoming a victim of this type of crime, there are some steps you can take with
your vital records and those of your family:
- Physical Security
- Only handle certificates WHEN NECESSARY. Return to storage ASAP!!!
- NEVER routinely carry birth certificates (or Social Security Cards) in wallet, purse, etc.
- Obtain and use a Safety Deposit Box, Home Safe or Lockbox
- NEVER disclose personal information to anyone you don’t know.
- Restrict Access
- Government agencies – May need to view, and briefly retain original document for processing
- Public/Private School – May need to view original and may wish to retain a PHOTOCOPY of certificate in the child’s student record. NEVER provide an original certificate! As the Mother’s Maiden Name is a common security question used by banks and credit institutions, we HIGHLY RECOMMEND that you black out the Mother’s Maiden Name on the photocopy of any certificate you provide.
- Youth Sports Officials – May need to view or retain a PHOTOCOPY of certificate to prove child’s eligibility. NEVER provide an original certificate! Once again, as the Mother’s Maiden Name is a common security question used by banks and credit institutions, we HIGHLY RECOMMEND that you black out the Mother’s Maiden Name on the photocopy of any certificate you provide.
- File copies of a person's death certificate with the three major credit-reporting agencies (stealing a dead person's identity is fairly easy). If this is done, when a credit-card company receives an application for a card and checks with one of the reporting agencies on the applicant's credit history, the company will find that the holder of the Social Security number involved is actually deceased. For more detailed information on protecting a dead person's identity, The Identity Resource Center is a good place to start.
You may obtain a death certificate application form directly from the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment.
- Be cautious about with whom you share your birth certificate and your child(ren)'s birth certificate. Secure these documents in your home, especially if you have roommates, employ outside help or are having work done in your home.
More resources
State of Colorado Attorney General's Office
Federal Trade Commission
Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment
Vital Records Section- Fraud Prevention
4300 Cherry Creek Drive South
HSVRD-VR-A1
Denver, CO 80246-1530
Phone: 303.692.2232
Fax: USA 1.866-687-6383; outside continental U.S. 303.691.7945
E-mail vital.records@state.co.us |
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