Why I created SafeJ1

I first came to the United States in 2008 through the Work and Travel USA cultural exchange program. At the time, I was a university student in Kazakhstan. I spent the summer working as a lifeguard in Surfside Beach, South Carolina. Like many international students participating in the program, I received a Social Security number so that I could work legally in the United States.

I followed the instructions I was given and understood that I should keep my Social Security number private. But I did not know about the U.S. credit-reporting system, credit freezes, fraud alerts, or the need to monitor a credit history connected to that number. When the summer ended, I returned to Kazakhstan. Although I later visited the United States, I did not work here again for many years and had no reason to use my Social Security number. I kept the card safe and assumed that was enough.

Almost two decades later, after completing my Ph.D. at the University of Alberta, I accepted a faculty position at the University of Denver. Before moving to Colorado in 2025, my family and I began applying for rental housing.

One of our applications was unexpectedly rejected. A property manager told me that there appeared to be a problem with my credit history and asked whether I had opened several credit cards. I was shocked. I had not applied for those cards, and I had not even been in the United States for more than six years.

I then discovered that someone had been using my identity for years. Fraudulent checking accounts, credit cards, and other credit lines had been opened in my name. Together, the fraudulent credit lines totaled approximately $100,000. Some accounts had been maintained over time, with payments apparently made to build the credit history and obtain access to still more credit. The activity looked established and legitimate, even though it had nothing to do with me.

The timing made the situation especially difficult. My family was preparing to move to a new country, yet the identity theft prevented us from passing the routine credit screening used by many property-management companies. We were fortunate to find a private landlord who agreed to rent a home to us directly.

At first, I thought correcting the records would be relatively quick. Instead, it took more than a year. I had to communicate repeatedly with banks, debt collectors, credit bureaus, and other organizations. Because the fraudulent accounts had existed for a long time and had payment histories, some institutions initially treated their age and apparent legitimacy as evidence that they belonged to me. Proving otherwise required persistence, documentation, phone calls, written disputes, and repeated follow-up.

Many participants receive a Social Security number while they are young and unfamiliar with the U.S. financial system. They may return home after several months and have no reason to check an American credit report. They may not know that an identity thief could use their information years later, or that the problem might remain hidden until they return to the United States, apply for housing, seek employment, open a bank account, or request credit.

After I began discussing my experience, I learned that a friend had encountered a similar problem. She discovered it earlier because we warned her. That made me wonder how many other former participants may already be victims without knowing it.

SafeJ1 was created to close this information gap. Its purpose is to help current and former J-1 participants understand the risks, take practical steps to protect their identities, recognize warning signs, preserve important records, and know where to begin if fraud has already occurred.

I cannot undo what happened to me, but I can use my experience to help others prevent or address the same problem. I also hope this initiative encourages program sponsors, exchange organizations, and public agencies to provide participants with clearer identity-protection guidance, both while they are in the United States and after they return home.

Learn how to protect it, keep your important records, and check for problems before they affect your future. That is why I created SafeJ1.

This testimony describes my personal experience and initiative. The views expressed are my own and do not represent or imply endorsement by the University of Denver.