Identity Fraud Should Be a Felony
Re “Stealing Your Good Name,” editorial, Oct. 14: I have been a victim of such activity since May, involving several credit cards and necessarily the three major credit bureaus. A federal law is required, because sophisticated identity thieves always work from out of state. The crime should be a felony, as amounts are generally in the grand theft category. (One of my falsified cards was hit for over $7,200 before the card was retrieved; another tried to get a $10,000 emergency cash draw.)
The usual technique is to acquire a name and Social Security number through computer hacking, then obtain your mother’s maiden name through hacking, various “Who’s Who” directories or birth certificate information. They then have all they need to call in a change of address, lost card, cash advance, etc.
In my (California) case, addresses used were two consistent ones in West Virginia and New York and, in spite of reporting them, they continue to be used.
I still get a problem notification about once per week, from the same two addresses. It’s going to get worse for everyone.
CARL G. HOKANSON
Los Angeles
* There’s no question that more must be done to protect consumers against identity rip-offs, as your editorial states.
The new law under AB 156, which we supported, is a good first step and makes identity theft a misdemeanor. However, we believe stealing a person’s identity so it can be used to obtain credit should be elevated to a felony offense. A misdemeanor crime isn’t enough to mobilize law enforcement officials to investigate and prosecute the crime.
Retailers should be able to record some identifying information, such as a driver’s license number, when a customer pays with a credit card. Currently, retailers are prohibited from recording this information. Such a restriction has hampered the industry’s ability to investigate, report and prevent credit card fraud.
BILL DOMBROWSKI, President
California Retailers Assn.
Sacramento
* To steal someone’s identity, several key ingredients are necessary, such as driver’s license, Social Security, credit card, telephone and other numbers, along with our addresses. These data would not be plastered all over the place, especially together with one another, if stores, banks and other institutions did not require them. The latter are looking out for their own concerns, but at the public’s expense.
I do not want my address appearing on my checks and have them printed accordingly. When trying to pay by check, the cashier starts writing my address on the check from my license (along with the number). I ask him or her to stop and a war of words ensues. If establishing my identity is at issue, and that has been done, what further need is there to create paper trails, which can be abused?
GAREN YEGPARIAN
Burbank
