[Wikipedia-l] Where ends the responsibility of Wikipedia? (personal information of people)

[Andrew Gray]

On 29/01/06, Anthony DiPierro <wikilegal at inbox.org> wrote:
> On 1/29/06, Fred Bauder <fredbaud at 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 at dunelm.org.uk