On 29/01/06, Anthony DiPierro <wikilegal(a)inbox.org> wrote:
On 1/29/06, Fred Bauder <fredbaud(a)ctelco.net>
wrote:
It is not that your identity so far as the state
or federal
government is stolen. Identity theft refers to someone gaining
sufficient access to your personal information that it is possible to
access your credit card accounts and bank accounts or create new
ones. What they are stealing is your credit rating. They can then run
up a big bill and leave you with it; the banks and credit companies
may forgive the debt, but straightening your credit rating will be
difficult and time consuming, or expensive (if you hire it done).
Can someone really "run up a big bill and leave you with it"? I
thought your authorization was needed in order to enter into a loan.
If I can redirect your mail to me, fake your signature, and
convincingly impersonate you on the phone... there's not much need for
any more authorisation. Sure, the loans and so on may all be
resolvable, in the end, but the loss of earnings, loss of confidence,
can all mount up. Nasty stuff.
And it can get insane. The worst case I've yet heard of involved
selling someone's house from under them -
http://www.schneier.com/blog/archives/2005/08/identity_thief.html
--
- Andrew Gray
andrew.gray(a)dunelm.org.uk