SSN Policy Manual

A New Identity

There are many legitimate reasons why people might want to create a new or second identity. Many people do it for security or aesthetic reasons. The government helps people in the witness protection program or foreign intelligence defector's to obtain a new identity to protect them from other people who might seek revenge. Many immigrants change their names when they discover that the people of their new home can't pronounce their name or that the pronunciation sounds bad. For example, Iva Odurk had a wonderful name in her homeland, but after some time in American she decided to change her first name to Nancy. And, of course, we all know those famous movie stars, such as, Marion Morrison, Archibald Leach and Issur Danielovich never use their real names on stage (these people are better known as John Wayne, Cary Grant and Kirk Douglas). And, as you might expect, there are also those who change their name hoping to hide their past or because they want to avoid getting caught by the police. Creating a new identity is much more than simply changing your name. It is the process of creating a new legal person, including official documents, banking, credit and profession. Often the process even includes creating a new family and life history. This is a complex task that, for most individuals, requires a lot of research and time. While the government may be able to research and inject a new identity and life history into the system, few individuals have that ability. The complexity of the task can also be related to your reason for wanting a new identity. For example a fake ID might get an under-aged teen drinks at a bar, but if you expect it to pass muster at a traffic stop, you had better make sure it was issued by the State . . . and it is a whole lot easier to order a fake ID from some theatrical props company than to get the State to issue you new documents under a different name. Regardless of your reason for creating a new identity, it is best done slowly and carefilly before a real need arises. This is best done by creating that new identity and then developing a low-profile life over several years. This section gives you some ideas about obtaining various official documents that you can use to obtain other documents that help you create a new and real identity that will pass muster with any official agency. Fake IDS are Dangerous Too many people assume that creating a new identity involves obtaining and using fake IDS.During our late teens, many of us were successful at passing fake IDSoff at a liquor store for a case of beer. Perhaps it is because of our pervious experience that we limit our thinking to fake IDS and thus avoid involving ourselves in a second identity because we now understand some of the inherent dangers associated with a fake ID. While a high-quality fake ID, such as some available for theatrical props, may have occasionally fooled a traffic cop or