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Hacker Shows How To Fabricate Death Records
wiredmikey writes: Hackers the Def Con gathering in Las Vegas on Friday got schooled in how to be online "killers." A rush to go digital with the process of registering deaths has made it simple for maliciously minded folks to have someone who is alive declared dead by the authorities. The process of having someone officially stamped dead by getting a death certificate issued typically involves a doctor filling out one form and a funeral home filling out another, according to Rock's research. Once forms are submitted online, certificates declaring the listed person legally dead are generated. A fatal flaw in the system is that people can easily pose as real doctors and funeral directors.
He also showed how to create birth certificates.
There are a number of potential exploits here. One would be to create birth certificates for two fake children, get some credit cards, max them out buying the same stock (one shorting the stock, one long). Whichever makes money, you keep. The other one, you get a fake death certificate, then you don't have to pay.
Of course, all this is fraud, and you can be arrested for it if you get caught.
"First they came for the slanderers and i said nothing."
Of course, all this is fraud, and you can be arrested for it if you get caught.
You can get arrested for retweeting someone else's comment.
If you do something they don't like (such as mounting a pistol to a drone, or putting coins in someone else's parking meter), they will find a law that can be extended to cover it.
They can use illegal means to get evidence, then use parallel construction to build a legal case. You can get arrested for anything nowadays.
I wouldn't worry about actions - law in this country has become discretionary, frivolous, and inconsistent. It's not based on harm any more.
Worry instead about getting noticed - that seems to start the process.