Using Your Privacy Against You

guttentag writes: "Christian Science Monitor Reporter Warren Richey suspects he may have stumbled onto a credit card fraud ring that uses Internet merchants to quietly funnel night-vision rifle scopes to Middle Eastern terrorists and privacy policies to cover their tracks. Even if these are isolated incidents, it's worth noting that the privacy rules intended to protect us can also work against us."

Comments

RTFA please

[Em Emalb]

Dude was in a foreign country. In Amman, Jordan to be exact. This is a sensationalist version of basically what amounts to standard fraud, except dude was in a middle-eastern country where a lot of people aren't friendly to the US and West in general. Granted, sucks that this occured, but is it news?

Synopsis: Journalist travels to Middle Eastern country. While there, orders stuff on his Amex. Amex receipt (I assume? Article not too clear on this) was used to purchase military equipment. Sucks, but such is life. This doesn't have anything to do with Privacy in the US, as far as I can see.

As a side note, when I was in the Middle East, (USMC--Oohrah!) we were instructed to make purchases only in their currency, so scams (which is all it really is) wouldn't happen.

Lastly, why the hell wasn't his card cancelled? Is he that stupid?

I seriously doubt this story is real at all, come to think of it.

MOD ARTICLE UP!@!@$!

[on by]

1. 1. WWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW WWWW

wadpal cumtit pispal titpus manjew nobfag piscum momlik fagpus ramtit bummom cokluv butdik cowbut puscow wopeat luvmom fagpis luvram diknob cowyum boypus eatpus sukkak boypal puswop cumsuk pusfag sukmom cowman cowjew wadlik jewpal manbut cowhot assjiz puskak palkak yumpal momkak piscok kakboy pooass butkak hotpis cokpal momram wopram asswad fagyum manboy momcow cowman ramwad sukjiz dikjew wopsuk eatluv nobtit pooass eatdik puskak ramcow jewbut cokpoo butman likeat palkak dikcow pisluv cowwad boyboy cowyum titpus boyboy mompoo ramram fagyum titpis butpus ramhot manyum butmom bumpis yumram cumram pishot wadcow dikcok cokpal jizass butwad asspus sukass jewman nobpis cumsuk cumwad cumkak pookak buthot asslik pisjiz wadbut jewram bumpal wopman dikcok suknob dikluv yumram palwop diksuk bumcok nobcok jizlik piscum momjew fagfag wophot butnob luvbum ramram wadman titeat ramluv wadlik dikass piscum dikboy jizman yumluv titkak wopass bumlik jizpal cowjew sukcok dikpal dikram nobjiz hotpoo eatjew pookak wopbut wopman wadmom cowpoo diknob poojiz butass dikhot poohot momwad eatram sukpis tityum cokass wopwop cokcok titjew piskak cowjiz wopbut butluv likpis hotjiz jizpus buthot jizbum bumkak maneat wadlik hotjew wopman nobtit pisnob palcok suktit rampus butnob kakwad eatluv assluv hotnob eatsuk diksuk yumboy cokram butwad nobcow luvpus poopal likpal sukcok luvcum boymom wadsuk nobcok pooram momluv momlik kakpis wopass likkak butjew momeat bummom paljiz cokboy cumnob nobboy poowad puskak buthot pooluv mompoo mommom ramfag jizlik yumjew ramcow wadcok yumpal nobjiz assfag hotjew fageat tittit ramnob wadkak momram likram dikkak bumfag likpus boyboy jewcum cummom likpal hotbut titpal buttit puswop eatbum buthot fagyum nobpis wopdik yumcum likjew puseat luvsuk boypal ramtit eatpis ramwad titpal yummom buthot likyum cokman poocok bumram assjiz dikyum sukbut cumtit bumman ramlik eatpal rampal poojew jewpoo cumram butnob butsuk wadlik pishot wadjew nobpoo palyum jewcum titpis cowpus mancok manman cumram bummom butcum pisman palass luvwad assjew eatsuk jizwad cowjew luvnob luvman wadjiz jeweat sukman manbut wadnob boyeat eathot nobbum sukyum eatnob eatboy cowkak dikwop ramlik likeat kakpus jizpal titram wadnob yumpal luvpus eatboy butfag wadpoo boybut pussuk fagwad liksuk boykak kakcum wadhot cokfag pislik jewwop hotcum yumman titcow luvwad cumcum titkak cumfag woppus fagyum ramtit puspis kakjew fagbum hotmom asseat suktit palpis pusyum butluv butbut jizboy

Article's Real Issue

[_Sprocket_]

Its pretty hard to find something worthy of discussion in this article. Lets cut throught the fluff real quick:

1. Freud is being used to purchase weapons - hello and welcome to the world of gunrunning. You were thinking that the weapons seen in civilian hands on CNN were purchased at the Wal-Mart in Al Kars?
   
2. Two reporters from the same newspaper get their card info lifted at the same restaurant - same racket is ran in the US on occasion. No mysterious conspiracy there.
   
3. Terrorism might involve crime - terrorism IS crime... or at least was according to US Military doctrine. At least, until the War on Terrorism.
   
4. The FBI didn't jump on the opportunity to track down a set of night scopes headed for Saudi Arabia - those involved with the security of US citizens and forces in the Middle East are probably rather resigned to the fact that terrorist forces in the area already have access to such equipment. They might have one lead that could eventually uncover something, but hardly drop-everything-else valuable. Its likely a dead-end.
   
5. ccnow, identified as the "vendor", wouldn't give the reporter details citing privacy policy - amazing, an absolute stranger on the phone claiming some connection to a transaction can't get details? Its obviously a front!
   

Actually, the ccnow bit might be the only interesting piece of the entire article. The fact that the reporter couldn't get information is probably a good sign that the policy is actually being followed as promised. But it hardly means the information is not available to appropriate parties. CCNow's privacy statement reads in part:

We treat this customer information as private and confidential, and we will not disclose this information to other individuals or organizations unless required by law.

There is more detail in their client agreement which notes in Section 7 (emphasis mine):

While CCNow generally treats Client and Customer information as private and confidential, including contact information (name and address), personal data, sales data, product data, credit-card information, and E-mail addresses, Client agrees that CCNow may, without notice to Client, divulge or share any Client or Customer information with law enforcement or regulatory authorities in response to a valid subpoena, court order, or other similar order issued by any law enforcement official, regulatory official or any Federal or governmental agent or body of the United States or of International Countries. Client agrees to deliver, acknowledge, execute or produce any documents, information, instruments, data (financial or otherwise) or certificates, and to cooperate and do such other acts and things as may be required by law, or as may be reasonably necessary for the compliance with the requirements of any federal, state, local or international law, or any regulations of any governmental agency or authority.

So really - what we have is another non-issue. If / when the FBI, CIA, or other lawfull agency makes the appropriate request for this information, CCNow will apparently present it (and furthermore requires their clients to also comply with such requests). The privacy policy is not inhibiting this case at all, despite the reporters horrified whispers and hand-wringing over waffles, weapons, and Al Qaeda.