Debt collector charged with identity theft-related felony

Police in East Texas recently arrested a woman after she allegedly tried to use another person's identity to purchase thousands of dollars worth of items from a local store. Lufkin police apprehended Leanna Jean Busby, 30, for fraudulent use of identifying information after an investigation revealed that she had used someone else's information to open up a credit card account at Lowe's department store, KTRE-TV reports. The crime was first brought to authorities' attention when a person called police telling them that someone had charged thousands of dollars to a credit card in their name without their knowledge. An investigation led police to Busby, who they later discovered is employed by a debt collection agency. She allegedly used tools of the trade to find out information on the victim and open the account. Many have been calling for stricter background screenings of debt collectors, given the access to sensitive information. According to an investigation by the Minneapolis Star Tribune, at least 743 people with criminal records have registered with the state as official debt collectors.