Would the real Carolyn Capalbo please stand up?

Lisa Udy recently wrote

Carolyn Capalbo Is A REALTOR In Northern Virginia That Needs Your Help

And while all of us take precautions of not having our identity stolen, Carolyn Capalbo had hers invaded by having the same name as someone else.

As a real estate broker I have to have my name and my cell phone number and my office number "out there" for everyone to find.  And nearly two years ago, September 2008, my name and cell number were comprised to the point I had to actually change my cell phone number.  In the end, what likely began as a prank cost me time and money to fix.

Someone took my name, my office address and my cell phone number and went on the Internet (and they happened to be going through a out of the country server) and played havoc with me.  I was enrolled in multiple book clubs, cd clubs, had people driving an hour to my office to give me quotes on sodding my yard, and my cell phone, well it rang so much it nearly blew up.  I finally had to actually change my cell phone number to stop it.  Imagine... all the time it took me to go to all the web sites and change my cell phone number, not to mention calling all my clients (past and current) to inform them of the change.  Oh and the cost of ordering new signs, new business cards, new stationary and note cards.  And imagine that in the middle of this time period boxes upon boxes of books and cds I didn't order started to arrive at my office.  And imagine service man after service man showing up at my office to give me quotes I didn't order.  Of course I also had to make a police report to accompany the returned boxes of books and cds.  Multiple trips to the post office, to the sheriff's department.  And furthermore during this senseless crisis in my life I was actually dealing with a real life family crisis.  My husband had major surgery and was home recovering for 3 months before he could return to work.  He couldn't drive himself to therapy for the first 8 weeks.  My life was a living hell for about 90 days.

But in about 90 days, with a new cell phone number, lots of changed signs and lots of angry vendors that I didn't call or order from turned away my ordeal came to an end and I got on with my life.

Carolyn Capalbo had her name identity crisis start about the same time and unfortunately is still dealing with it.  You see if you Googled her name  you didn't get Carolyn Capalbo, Realtor in Northern Virginia, you got someone else.  Someone who happened to be the parent of a girl who got involved in a scandle that made national news.  Today, nearly two years later, while her Google rankings are begining to get better, they are still all mixed and intertwined with scandle.

So if you're looking to find out who was sleeping with the mayor of New York, don't call her, it wasn't her daughter.

BUT if you're looking for a great agent who can help you find a home or sell home in Northern Virginia.. Call Carolyn Capalbo.