mistaken identity

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forresthickman
Member
Posts: 56
Joined: Thu Jan 30, 2014 4:09 pm

mistaken identity

#1

Post by forresthickman »

A Home Teacher (in our Ward) went by to see someone for the first time recently, they told the HT that they had the wrong person.
the person said:

1. his middle name was wrong on our records.
2. his records had the wrong birthdate.
3. insisted we had the wrong person, he is not a member of the church, nor never has been. he has been a Catholic his whole life.

i looked at his records and it shows him being baptized in 1983... he is 64 yrs old to date, so that would mean that he was 30 yrs old at the time of a baptism (he certainly would remember that at that age). his records also show no other relatives of any kind. he insists it is a case of mistaken identity (that is how the HT feels also).

what do you suggest i do? my Bishop didn't know what to do, so i thought i'd ask here in case someone has come across this situation before.

thank you
eblood66
Senior Member
Posts: 3907
Joined: Mon Sep 24, 2007 9:17 am
Location: Cumming, GA, USA

Re: mistaken identity

#2

Post by eblood66 »

With an incorrect middle name and birth date I would assume they are correct.

I would treat it like any other address unknown situation. Go through the steps necessary before moving a record to address unknown (most, if not all, of which will not be applicable since you don't have any previous contact information, address or known friends or family). Then move the record to address unknown with a note that the person at the previous address is not the correct individual (so that hopefully it doesn't get sent back to you).
russellhltn
Community Administrator
Posts: 34417
Joined: Sat Jan 20, 2007 2:53 pm
Location: U.S.

Re: mistaken identity

#3

Post by russellhltn »

Yeah, I agree. Someone probably "found" this person in a listing and decided it was the inactive member they were looking for.
Have you searched the Help Center? Try doing a Google search and adding "site:churchofjesuschrist.org/help" to the search criteria.

So we can better help you, please edit your Profile to include your general location.
forresthickman
Member
Posts: 56
Joined: Thu Jan 30, 2014 4:09 pm

Re: mistaken identity

#4

Post by forresthickman »

there is a note section??
russellhltn
Community Administrator
Posts: 34417
Joined: Sat Jan 20, 2007 2:53 pm
Location: U.S.

Re: mistaken identity

#5

Post by russellhltn »

forresthickman wrote:there is a note section??
If there isn't, use the special request to tell them what you want done. What you don't want is for someone back at CHQ to "find" this same mistaken person again.
Have you searched the Help Center? Try doing a Google search and adding "site:churchofjesuschrist.org/help" to the search criteria.

So we can better help you, please edit your Profile to include your general location.
forresthickman
Member
Posts: 56
Joined: Thu Jan 30, 2014 4:09 pm

Re: mistaken identity

#6

Post by forresthickman »

where is the "special request" place to ask?

i don't know why SLC removed the notes area, i thought it was useful... when i'd send a record out with no address, i'd sometimes know what state (but nothing else).. i figured SLC would at least have a heads up where to start (instead of nothing).
russellhltn
Community Administrator
Posts: 34417
Joined: Sat Jan 20, 2007 2:53 pm
Location: U.S.

Re: mistaken identity

#7

Post by russellhltn »

Have you searched the Help Center? Try doing a Google search and adding "site:churchofjesuschrist.org/help" to the search criteria.

So we can better help you, please edit your Profile to include your general location.
idjeeper2
Member
Posts: 162
Joined: Wed Jun 09, 2010 10:39 pm
Location: Boise, Idaho, USA

Re: mistaken identity

#8

Post by idjeeper2 »

Note that the Special Record Requests doesn't work if you've already sent the record away. I have often sent an email to Membership stating that I sent a record to "Unknown" and then documenting the information that we have been able to discover. Like one where the parents of the individual told us that they still lived in town, but not in our ward and they weren't sure of the address. At least that gives the missionaries something to start with.

I wish they would put the notes section back in to the system. I don't use it every time, but often enough that it would be useful.
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