In March 2008£¬Joe Ryan got a notice from a billing agency for a hospital near Denver, Colorado. The hospital wanted payment for surgery totaling $ 41,188. Ryan had never set foot in that hospital. Obviously there was some mistake. “I thou ght it was a joke,” says Ryan.                       

But when he called the billing agency£¬nobody laughed. Someone, who ’ s also named Joe Ryan, using Ryan's Social Security number, had indeed been admitted for surgery. He figured clearing this up would take a just few phone calls.         

Two years later, Ryan continues to suffer fro m the damage to his credit rating and still doesn’t know if his medical record has been cleared of wrong information.    

Joe Ryan w as the victim of a little-known but frightening type of consumer cheating that is on the rise£ºmedical identity theft, which involves using your name to get drugs, expensive medical treatment and even cheating insurance payments.