BEIJING: 23-year-old Hunan native Luo Caixia's life would have been very different if she had not fallen victim to identity theft.

In 2004, Ms Luo was admitted to Guizhou Normal University based on her relatively good grades in the college entrance examination. But instead of being enrolled in the college, her classmate Wang Jiajun – known to be one of the worse students in her class – took her place.

In the mistaken belief she had not been admitted, Ms Luo spent another year retaking the examinations and later gained admission into Tianjin Normal University.

Ms Luo only discovered that her identity was stolen when she recently tried to open a bank account, but was told that "the information was already in use". Worse, she could not find a job because the graduation and teaching certificates she had been working towards could not be issued as they had already been issued to someone else using her name.

Investigations revealed that Ms Wang's father had made illicit arrangements in 2004 to allow her to enter university using Ms Luo's identity. Mr Wang Zhengrong, a local senior police officer, admitted paying 50,000 yuan (S$10,680) to secure a swap of the two girls' identities.

Ms Luo was understandably livid and bewildered.

"I cannot stop asking myself - why me? Why was I chosen? Was it simply because my family has no connections while Ms Wang's father is a local official?"

Local and provincial authorities have pledged to get to the bottom of the matter, while the senior Wang had reportedly promised to "assist" Ms Luo as best as he can. Even so, various media reports painted a somewhat conflicting picture of him.

He reportedly pleaded for sympathy claiming that Ms Wang was also a "victim", adding that it would be "unfair" to his daughter and "a tragedy" if her education qualifications were revoked. Mr Wang also claimed that it was an "honour" for the Luos to be associated with him, since he could "help Ms Luo Caixia find a job".

Yet, according to Ms Luo's family, Mr Wang had tried to settle the issue by threatening the Luos that "if 20,000 yuan does not work, I will be dead, and if so, you should not think of getting away with it either".

He threatened the Luos that he would "jump into the lake" if the issue is taken to court, and accused the family of wanting to wrangle more money out from him.

Ms Luo's father, Mr Luo Meicheng, a vegetable seller in a market, said all he wanted was justice, adding that "it is not easy for a family like ours to see a child through university".

Justice was obtained earlier this week when Ms Wang's degree was revoked, while her father was detained on charges of "forging official documents, certificates and seals".

Xinhua news agency reported that like millions of young people from rural areas, Ms Luo might have "to work as a migrant worker" if her family had not been able to support her for a second examination.

Apart from reflecting the fierce competition for university places in China, the incident - which has aroused nationwide indignation – is also about "social justice and fairness", said Mr Liu Wanyong, the China Youth Daily reporter who first uncovered the story.

In China, most instances of identity theft involve cases similar to Ms Luo Caixia's or people who have found jobs using other people's identities. But financial scams involving the stealing of credit card numbers are also increasingly making their presence felt.

Decades of systematic corruption and excessive power are largely to be blamed for the rampancy of identity thefts. Those caught in the act are often let off with a fine and in some cases, even allowed to continue with their jobs and status obtained on false pretexts.

But the sentencing of Mr Wang is a signal that such abuse of power will not be tolerated, and that social justice and fairness are important values in China's efforts to build a more equitable and harmonious society.


- TODAY/so