When teen model Charlene Sierakowski went to insure her 1994 Chevy Cavalier, the clerk at ICBC announced she wouldn’t be able to drive her car until she paid an outstanding ticket issued by police.   

The Langley 19-year-old was told she had a $230 fine for drinking in public -- but she was at work at the time the ticket was issued by Surrey Mounties. 

Her ID had recently been stolen from the trunk of her car and Sierakowski had reported the theft.

"They had literally ripped the back seat open and crawled in that way,” she told CTV’s Steele on Your Side.

Someone posing as the 6-2 tall teen was impersonating her using her driver’s license. There was no way the Langley teen was going to pay for a ticket that wasn't hers. 

"If I pay it then that means that I’m guilty -- that it was me. I know it's only $230 dollars, but it's still $230 dollars,” she said. 

So the fashion model had no choice but to fill out an impersonation package from ICBC and wait to see if her claim was accepted.

The only person who can cancel the ticket is the officer who issued the ticket, according to ICBC. 

The agency says the teen isn’t the only B.C. resident dealing with identity theft. Last year, 810 people made driver impersonation claims and 260 tickets were cancelled as a result.

"Identity theft going forward is a huge problem and it's growing every year,” said ICBC spokesperson Adam Grossman. 

“I think in B.C. the reason the driver’s license is such a target is because it's our primary form of identification.”

But weeks after filling out the form and not being able to drive her car, Sierakowski was still waiting for her claim to be processed.

"I'm very upset because it's definitely set me back. It’s been really stressful and I actually got sick for a while,” she said. 

To add to the stress, the aspiring model is packing for an important trip to China with her agency and is concerned the mix up will come back to haunt her. 

"What if I’m over there and they bring up some of my ID stuff… and then I’m like stuck there?” she said.

After our interview with Sierakowski, RCMP took another look at her ticket and determined the signature was forged. The ticket has now been cancelled.

As for the woman who has her ID, police say she also was caught with mace when she was ticketed for drinking in public.

If an ICBC customer believes they have been impersonated they can file a Driver Impersonation Claim by visiting an ICBC point of service or by calling our Customer Contact number: 604-661-2800.