Call Kurtis

Call Kurtis: Mistaken Identity

SACRAMENTO (CBS13) ― An Elk Grove mother has been trying to fix a misprint on her son's Social Security card.

After getting the runaround for two years, she called Kurtis Ming.

Christie Dunbar says her son can't get a driver's license, health insurance, a job or even attend college.

It's all from a mistake made 20 years ago.

"That was when he was born, that was his birth picture from the hospital" points out Christie Dunbar, Elk Grove resident.

Christie remembers the excitement of being a mom.

"He was my first child, he was a little early, I was scared, he was small" says Christie.

The delivery went fine. Fast forward to now.

She has four sons. Her oldest, Paul, is 20.

Two years ago, Paul went to the DMV to get a driver's permit.

"So we go down there, we talk to the guy and he sits there and he says you guys trying to commit fraud" says Paul Vernon-Kuns.

Turns out, his name was misprinted on his social security card.

His birth certificate reads Paul Michael Vernon-Kuns.

But somehow the Vernon was not put on his social security card.

Paul and Christie were told to go to Social Security to get it fixed.

"Social Security said we cannot change it without state issued photo ID, meaning DMV" says Christie.

Christie went back and forth between the two agencies.

At one point, she got some shocking advice from a Social Security employee.

"We were told perhaps if he got arrested, bring in his booking sheet and they will change his Social Security card based on his booking sheet" says Christie.

Christie adds "I'm not going to have him get a criminal record because there's a misspelling on the Social Security card."

Because the records don't match, he couldn't get health insurance when he turned 18. Even colleges have turned him away.

"I can't even get a part-time minimum wage job to have 10 bucks on the weekend to see a movie, can't even do that" says Paul, while wiping away his tears.

Because he can't drive, Paul has to walk to the bus stop.

Sometimes his younger brother, Justin, gives him a ride.

"He'll be looking to his little brother, hey, I taught you how to tie your shoes, now, can you drive me over to see my girlfriend? And it's wrong" says Christie.

Christie says she even wrote to the offices of Congressman Dan Lungren and the Governor but no one responded.

"It's a misspelling and that's all there is to it and I cannot believe there isn't someone out there to say this is wrong" says Christie.

Finally, she called me.

The Social Security Administration told us the reason it was so difficult to change his name is because Paul has been using his mother's remarried last name "Dunbar" for the past 20 years.

And he has no photo ID with his legal name "Vernon-Kuns."

"I want him to get his ID, get his license and move on with his life" says Christie.

Just three days after our phone call, Social Security invited Paul and Christie down to their offices to make the name change.

And now, Paul just sent us these photos with his new corrected card.

"Awesome, finally able to move on and work" says Paul.

And that means Paul will finally be able to get a permit to drive.

This just reaffirms the need for parents to be extra careful when filling out their child's birth certificate and Social Security forms at the hospital. And also, to check for mistakes when they get those back in the mail.

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