For some divorcees, the problems caused by a spouse don’t go away after the divorce paperwork has been completed. Child custody, spousal support, and other end-of-marriage issues may continue to cause contention for years afterward. Divorced Colorado residents may not realize their ex-spouses may be able to wreak havoc on their financial lives through underhanded means.
This recently happened to a woman who had been divorced from her husband for some time and had thought she’d started over fresh. Her son discovered a spreadsheet containing his mother’s private financial information during a visit to his father’s home. He downloaded the document as proof.
It turned out that the man had an account with the identity theft protection company LifeLock, which he had allegedly used to keep track of his ex-wife’s financial activity. He was able to access everything from her credit report to her loan information and received emails from the company that kept him up to date on her activity. He could also have had control over her financial transactions.
The woman contacted the company and law enforcement to report the stalking behavior. Initially, LifeLock was slow to provide law enforcement the documents they requested, and they did not answer her emails or give her access to the account. Eventually, after the media became involved, company officials apologized, offered to pay her legal fees, and provided the information to law enforcement. They also said they were reviewing their procedures to prevent further people from being victimized.
This woman’s experience may serve as a warning for divorcees to be aware of what may happen if the ex is vindictive, abusive, or controlling.
Source: Democrat & Chronicle, "LifeLock used to secretly track ex-wife's financial moves," Robert Anglen, Nov. 24, 2015
Tags: Divorce
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