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Sign up todayThe Less People Know About Us
A Mystery of Betrayal, Family Secrets, and Stolen Identity
Narrator
Laurie Catherine Winkel
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Length
7 hours 31 minutes
Language
English
In this powerful and “engrossing” memoir, identity theft expert Axton Betz-Hamilton tells the shocking story of how her family was destroyed by the actions of an anonymous criminal (The New York Times).
When Axton Betz-Hamilton was 11 years old, her parents both had their identities stolen. This was before the age of the Internet—authorities and banks were clueless and reluctant to help Axton's parents.
Convinced that the thief had to be someone they knew, Axton and her parents completely cut off the outside world. As a result, Axton spent her formative years crippled by anxiety, quarantined behind the closed curtains in her childhood home. Years later, Axton discovered that she, too, had fallen prey to the identity thief.
The Less People Know About Us is a cautionary tale, but not one without hope as Axton looks back on the dysfunctional childhood that led to her desire to help this from happening to others.
AN EDGAR AWARDS 2020 WINNER AND WALL STREET JOURNAL BESTSELLER
Axton Betz-Hamilton is an expert in identity theft, having personal experience that she's now turned into a career. After discovering her own mother had stolen hers and her father's identities for years, Axton made understanding the nuances of identity theft her life's work. She frequently speaks on the topic at a wide range of conferences and has won multiple awards for her research, teaching, and service.
Axton has a Master's degree in Consumer Sciences and Retailing and a PhD in Human Development and Family Studies, focusing on child identity theft and elder financial exploitation perpetrated by family members. She teaches at South Dakota State University.
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Reviews
"Reads like a grim folk tale...intimate and engrossing."—The New York Times "The air of menace is palpable...A deeply compelling story of a crime that hit close to home."—NPR "The tension of a thriller...[and] jaw dropping revelations. Astonishing and disturbing, this emotionally resonant book is perfect for true crime fans."—Publishers Weekly (starred review) "This memoir has all the suspense and twists of a thriller; even as readers begin to suspect the truth, it still shocks...highly recommended."—Booklist "Betz-Hamilton expertly blends true crime and memoir in this tale of family, lies, and identity...a brave, candid examination of her painful past [and] a poignant and fascinating exploration of identity theft."—Library Journal "'Identity theft' sounds like something that happens far, far away and only to other people...certainly not within a seemingly picture-perfect family in the rural U.S. In a gut-wrenching portrayal of victimization starting at age 11, Axton Betz-Hamilton shows that's simply not true. The stunning revelations will keep you looking over your shoulder for a long time and even more troubling...at the ones you think you know the best!"—Nancy Grace, legal commentator, broadcast journalist, and New York Times bestselling author of The Eleventh Victim "Axton Betz-Hamilton's story is remarkable. One of the primary challenges for those of us advocating for more rights and resources for identity theft victims is their reluctance to share their experience. Betz-Hamilton writes with candor and grace about both her relationship with her mother/perpetrator, and the long term effect victimization has had on her life."—EvaCasey Velasquez, president/CEO of Identity Theft Resource Center "A brave, rueful memoir of fear and heartbreak in rural America. Axton Betz-Hamilton mines the most essential of life's questions: can we ever really know the people we love? The Less People Know About Us is an unflinching portrait of grit and determination in the wake of a fractured childhood and complicated grief."—Carolyn Murnick, author of The Hot One Expand reviews