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Tens of thousands of applicants to Lifeline, a federal phone subsidy for low-income families, were put at heightened risk for identity theft when more than 170,000 sensitive records were posted publicly online. When a Scripps team contacted those the files, the reporters heard a startling claim: The “applicants” said they had never seen the forms bearing their signatures - and in some cases had never heard of TerraCom Inc., based in Oklahoma City. Former TerraCom field agents, who were paid on commission, told Scripps that they, not applicants, fabricated and completed applications on instruction from superiors.