Sometimes, though, identity theft isn't to blame - just having the same name as someone else can land you in trouble. Rarely does identity theft and a clerical error happen at the same time.

Frank Deyoub, 35, from Michigan in the US, claims his father stole his identity 15 years ago and used his unblemished credit record to buy two houses and three cars, which he defaulted on. At about the same time, the Huffington Post reports, one of his former classmates allegedly started using Deyoub's name when he was arrested for drugs.

Deyoub's father, Frank Scaramuzzino, however, laid the blame squarely at the feet of the credit bureaus. Before he changed his name to Deyoub, Frank jnr was also called Frank Scaramuzzino and it was this, his dad said, that caused a clerical error. Needless to say, Deyoub won't be calling his son Frank.

Despite trying to clear up the situation for years, Deyoub says he still gets credit companies sending him reports that list his classmate's criminal history as his own, or that attribute his father's purchases and debts to him.