Snohomish, WA woman says DOL failure led to ID theft
Snohomish woman says identity theft led to fraudulent Jaguar purchase
A Snohomish woman says a stolen identity and fraudulent driver’s license were used to buy a luxury car in her name. The case comes as a tort claim alleges security flaws in the Washington Department of Licensing system, which the agency disputes.
SNOHOMISH, Wash. - What would you do if someone stole your identity and bought a Jaguar?
A Snohomish woman told FOX 13 News it happened to her, and said a fraudulent ID ordered through the Washington State Department of Licensing helped the thief pull it off.
Now, she has a warning to everyone who uses the online License Express service: don't.
The backstory:
If the scenario sounds a bit familiar to you, it's likely because of the tort claim we told you about earlier this month accusing the DOL of leaving a backdoor open to criminals for more than six years.
That's what caught this woman's attention.
"I got really nervous when I knew she had my identification, because then that would allow her to walk in to just about anywhere, pretend to be me," Alycia Paul said.
Paul said a fraudulent ID ordered online through the DOL wrecked her sense of security.
Local perspective:
Prosecutors found Alexandra McCulloch, 33, took Paul's identity for a joyride using her information, but not her face.
"We still haven't been able to figure out how she obtained my Social Security number," Paul said.
McCulloch had pled guilty to other identity theft charges in May 2025, according to court records.
Investigators said ahead of sentencing, she was bailed out by her boyfriend using another man's stolen credit card, and instead of reporting to court-ordered treatment, she stole Paul's identity.
In June, Paul got a DOL alert about a duplicate license, and by July, prosecutors said McCulloch used that license to buy a 2017 Jaguar at CarMax after applying online.
Court documents show the total amount financed to buy the Jaguar was $24,019.91.
What they're saying:
A spokesperson for CarMax shared the following statement with FOX 13 News:
"When CarMax was contacted by Ms. Paul, we immediately conducted an investigation and partnered with law enforcement to share information. We also removed the tradeline and credit inquiries from Ms. Paul's credit report. To help prevent theft and identity fraud, we leverage technology and train our associates on required procedures and best practices. We regularly evaluate our tools and processes in order to strengthen our prevention efforts. For any additional questions, we recommend reaching out to the local authorities who completed this investigation."
Court documents show someone accessed Paul's License Express account and called the DOL pretending to be her.
"I found out the Customer Contact Center had given her my driver's license number over the phone to log into the account," Paul said.
The DOL said you cannot change the photo on a duplicate license ordered online.
"You have to go into an office to have a new picture taken. Anything ordered on License Express would use the current photo in our system," a DOL spokesperson told FOX 13 News.
The DOL said it worked directly with Paul, but she said she struggled to get a call back.
The agency wouldn't share any further information about her case, citing the Federal Driver Privacy Protection Act.
"Had DOL just given me a call back after the woman had accessed my account in June, I would've gone in and locked everything," Paul said.
A tort claim filed this month alleges the DOL left a License Express backdoor open for years, allowing criminals to access and change your information, and then order duplicate IDs anywhere they wanted.
The other side:
The agency disputes that.
Paul said in July, she discovered an auto loan in her name and called police for help.
Investigators found McCulloch tried to sell the Jaguar online, and it was even spotted on Flock cameras.
But the very next month, McCulloch and her boyfriend were arrested, and investigators said they had evidence of identity theft and stolen mail. They also had the Jaguar.
Prosecutors said McCulloch pled guilty in this case last October and is now in prison.
"My subscriptions for my protein shakes, you know, have more security authentication factors than DOL had in place," Paul said.
It is a tough lesson for both women.
"My credit is still hurt, but it's nothing that can't be repaired. So, thankfully, nobody was hurt in the situation, but it's been a headache, to say the least," Paul said.
Paul said she's done using License Express online and has constant identity and credit monitoring.
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The Source: Information in this story comes from original reporting by FOX 13 Seattle reporter Dan Griffin.