Identity Theft Reviewed

Be careful when changing your address

If you’re a citizen of the US, and you’re changing your mailing address, always make sure the procedure went properly, and that the database has been updated. You should receive a confirmation letter telling you about the change. In 2002, after changing his address, a US resident thought everything was fine, until he noticed he wasn’t receiving his regular mail. It still ended up at his old home, and the people who lived there didn’t think much of it and just left the mail outside, where anyone could get it. The mail contained things like bank statements, credit card information, etc. The man soon had to do a lot of cancelling of fraudulent accounts opened in his name.

The person is still recovering from the case, and the US post’s reaction to their blatant mistake could be summed up with the phrase “Oops” – they didn’t really take the matter seriously, and offered no apologies that you would expect after such a mistake.

The case of Bari Nessel: consider your employers carefully

People often trust their employers – both potential and actual ones – without second questioning, as the employer is a figure of high authority, and he/she’s supposed to instill trust in you and give you a sense of security in your work. Such is the case of Linda Foley from San Diego, who was a victim of the infamous Bari Nessel, an identity thief.

Abusing her authority, Nessel was able to get a hold of a lot of Foley’s personal information, including her Social Security Number, and a copy of her driver’s license – both of which are usually provided to employers as part of the standard procedure. Nessel then used that information to apply for credit cards on behalf of Foley, as well as a cell phone contract. She used the credit cards to buy items for herself (a rather disturbing fact is that she bought a lot of things from people advertizing in her own magazine), and when she was finally caught, she claimed all those things were meant as gifts to Foley.

The sad fact in this story, is that Nessel went largely unpunished by the credit card companies, because they didn’t see enough justification to use their legal forces against her. They say identity theft is a victimless crime, because noone gets hurt – this is far from the truth. In reality, the mental state which you can be driven into by such an act is indescribable, and the lack of punishment for identity thieves can easily be the last nail in the coffin of the victim’s mental stability.