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Government To Fix Identity Theft?
Cobb writes "With nearly 50 million identities compromised in the last 6 months, the powers that be are gearing up to fix the problem. 'Prosecutors and privacy experts say that what America needs is a coordinated national strategy. While 15 states require companies to tell consumers if their data has been compromised, there's still no national law.' A new study joins a host of other statistics -- some private, some government-sponsored -- attempting to quantify the size of the ID theft problem. There is no universal agreement on the size of the problem, on the way to count the victims, or even on how to define identity theft."
Perhaps if banks and merchants would control credit a little better we might not have as much of a problem. They could start by not sending credit card offers to my dog.
[Insert pithy quote here]
It is silly that someone can committ such fraud just because they collect some numbers (SSN, phone, address, Credit Card, Driver's License, Passport). What we need is a system where simply possessing the numbers does not allow for fraud. The solution probably has something to do with biometrics. Of course, criminals will work against that too, but I just don't see how we can legislate ID theft into submission.
Logic would dictate that your information is private BY DEFAULT, as in other enlightened countries.
The only way to fix the problem is not to have all these laws after the fact, but to stop the sharing at the source. For example, you sign-up at a bank for a new account. You cannot at that time ask for you information not to be shared. You must call up later and say:
1) I don't want my information shared to third-parties.
2) I don't want my information shared to afflilated companies.
3) I don't want any offers, etc.
If you miss one your screwed. Just think of all the things you've registered for where your information is flying around. It's absolutely unstoppable.
I'd love to do a credit freeze on my account, but in Texas you can only do that AFTER you prove to the credit companies that your a victim of identity-theft. That's like handing out a condom after rape.
The credit-bureaus snap back that without access to the sea of "metadata" people won't get all these advertisements for low-interest lows and crap like that. Makes me want to puke.
Maybe we can change out our SSN#s every so often, but otherwise I assume having your identity stolen will be common-place in 5 to 10 years.
Peace out!
Happy 4th.
"This isn't a study in computer science, its a study in human behavior"
The reason identify theft is the fasteest growing problem is that a lot of crimes that used to be called something else is now called identify theft.
Someone steals your credit card number and orders porn? That's no longer credit card fraud, that's identity theft.
Someone forges a check against your bank account for porn? That's no longer check fraud, that's identity theft.
Somebody ordering a pizza in your name, because they can't afford porn? That's no longer a phone prank, that's identity theft.
Nearly all economic crime can now be classified as identity theft. Nearly all is being so classified.
It's impossible to tell how much of a problem there is, at this point. We're all too distracted by watching the sky falling.
Identity "theft" is not the fault of the offended party, so why should they have to spend their resources fixing it?
The best idea yet is that unless the creditor can prove that you authorized any purchases made on your account, then they have to eat it. It is the creditor's job to make sure they know who to whom they are giving credit. It is then ultimately their responsibility to track down identity thieves. If their internal policies are so lax, that they don't know their customers from a hole in the ground, then they need to shape up. I think that this policy is the only way to get them to fix these problems, by hurting their bottom line.
Yeah..this is something I fear. I was reading in the local paper recently...that this could really crush SMALL businesses, that may do simple things like directly charging customers' checking accounts. Basically, this notification could really open so many up to lawsuits, and in our present ligitious society these days...well, I think that is a given.
Personally, I wish they'd go in the direction of outlawing, the wholesale trading and selling of personally identifiable information...especially the Social Security number...
I wish they's make it illegal to use it as an identifier in any public database not directly associated with SS taxable income.
If they didn't have the one person unique identifier out there in so many of these databases...that link so much information together over disparate databases, the theft perhaps wouldn't be as painful or dangerous to the individual.
I wish they'd make the selling of this data illegal..companies like Acxiom scare me really...they have info on most anyone in the US, and when I'd left there years ago, their computer security to the 'net wasn't secure enough to ease my concerns. And they're not the only ones...just one of the big ones.
Light travels faster than sound. This is why some people appear bright until you hear them speak.........
The next step is to limit sharing of personal information; this is something that some states have achieved.
Make sure that lists are opt-in. Businesses must ask personal permission at all times.
Higher penalties for stealing mail or other personal information that is used for wrong purposes.
Require online businesses to use secured connections for better protection.
Hold banks, credit card, loan agencies, etc. accountable for credit history fuckups.
Require timetables on identity theft resolutions; have businesses pay for it.
Fine companies for losing personal information.
If this does not work, let people buy cheap guns and shoot mother fuckers who commit or contribute to identity theft. Why should people sit in silence if credit card industry gets a fat profit that is growing from year to year? Make those fuckers responsible for their fuckups.