News Summary

HAMILTON — A woman living on a fixed income was billed for course work that she never took at an online university, according to police.

University officials said identity theft is a common problem in their business.

Elizabeth Venerable, of the 2500 block of Pleasant Avenue, received a bill for $743 from a company that collects outstanding debts for Ashworth University, an online college that provides education for associates' and bachelors' degrees.

The 59-year-old is disabled and hasn't attended any school since she was younger, said her daughter, Ylonda Wagers. Venerable filed an identity theft report with Hamilton police. Wagers said they don't know how someone got her mother's Social Security number and birth date.

An Ashworth U. customer service representative said the university has had this problem before and that it has no way to verify the identity of a person over the phone. He said a police report that disputes the charges should be sufficient to erase the debt.

Contact this reporter at (513) 820-2122 or rwilson@coxohio.com.

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