Woman believes classmate stole her identity

Police in Shaanxi province are looking into the case of a woman who allegedly stole a classmate's student file 20 years ago and has since lived under a fake identity.

"The bureau will follow the case through to the end and hold all the people involved accountable," Liu Jun, an officer of the province's Sanyuan public security bureau, told Shaanxi Television on Monday.

The suspected impostor, who allegedly assumed the identity of Jing Gaofeng, was the former head of a local kindergarten and transferred to work with the local education bureau. She was later recognized by the real Jing as Li Min, a junior high school schoolmate who she said had not done well in school.

Jing, 36, who lives in Xi'an, Shaanxi, told China Daily that she was doing well at school and was certain she could pass the technical school entrance examination in 1998.

"I was surprised when my principal told me that I failed the exam and my student files were lost, but I wasn't told my score," she said, adding it was a major blow that later had tremendous effect on her character.

Jing went on to high school but her academic performance declined. She then went on to junior college and found a job in Xi'an.

In 2017, Jing discovered that a woman of the same name had been working with the education bureau in her hometown, Sanyuan. She later recognized the person as Li Min. Jing believed Li had stolen her student file and went on to technical school using her identity.

Jing also said it is not likely to be a single case because the file of her sister, Jing Gaofang, was also reported missing when applying for a technical school and was retrieved by their father through the admissions office.

According to Jing, Li Min had previously told her that the arrangement was handled by her parents and she offered to settle the issue with money, which Jing refused.

The education bureau in Sanyuan released a statement on Saturday saying it had suspended the impostor from her duties and would investigate. Li Min resigned from the bureau later that day, the bureau said.