A screenshot from CCTV news of Wang Nana, whose personal identification was used by another woman to obtain her degree.[Photo/CCTV]

Liu Hongli, also from Zhoukou, was shocked to find that her hukou and identity card had been registered in Beijing without her knowledge, and that the police had failed to alert her to the fact her hukou had been nullified in 2010.

"In other words, I have been a 'black householder' (an illegal resident) for six years," the 35-year-old said.

Wang and Liu spent many hours traveling back and forth between their local public security bureau and related government offices to prove their identities, but now, both have some sort of closure.

In Wang's case, three people suspected of fabricating fake identity certificates have been detained while investigations continue. Meanwhile, Liu obtained a new hukou at the beginning of the month, and her case is also being investigated.

Legal professionals said that the cases were just the tip of an iceberg made possible by the country's poor management of identity security.

Although it is just a small piece of paper, the hukou certificate is far more than just proof of residence because it details a person's marital status, eligibility for unemployment benefit, health service status, education opportunities and pension. As such the hukou and an ID card are the most important documents in a Chinese citizen's life.

Moreover, experts say there is a huge difference between the benefits bestowed by rural and urban residence permits - for example, unemployment benefit is lower in rural areas.

The problem of identity theft has fluctuated in recent years. In 2009, nearly 1.7 million people possessed duplicate hukou certificates. In 2013, the police canceled 790,000 fake certificates. The number soared to 2.5 million in 2014, but by March last year, it had fallen to 486, according to statistics released by the ministry in December.

Ruan Chuansheng, a criminal lawyer in Shanghai, said that the fabrication of identities will only be eradicated through stricter law enforcement by public security departments and government offices.

An uneventful life

Wang lived an uneventful life until she discovered that someone had stolen her identity and taken her place at college.

"I was very depressed when I was told that I had 'failed' the college entrance exam, but I got over it. I got married, looked for a job and had children," she said. "My mind went blank when the bank clerk told me that there was something wrong with my identity papers."