In article >, says...
>
> "Kyle Phillips" wrote >
>
> > "Dog3" wrote>> Okay, I found out late last night someone is usin my social
> > security
> >> number. Supposedly I own a car in Nebraska that was involved in a car
> >> accident, a bad one. I have called the local authorities,not much luck
> >> there. Gawd, I've never been to Nebraska.
> >>
> >
> > Ouch. I'm sorry this happened. The below is from an old issue of Cosa
> > Bolle
> > in Pentola, my (nominally) Italian wine food and travel newsletter:
>
> (great information clipped and saved)
>
> > Kyle
> > http://www.cosablle.com
>
> When shopping and handing over my credit card and signing the charge slip, I
> often ask the clerk, "Did you check the signatures, to see if they match?"
> I'm always greeted with the same puzzled look. Scary. Try it sometime.

I've had clerks try to compare my signature. I pointedly ask them where
they went to school and what courses they took regarding handwriting
analysis. Kind of makes the point right then and there.

They should just ask to see ID though a good identity thief also has
that too, their picture with your name and relevant information.

The problem is that it isn't going to get any better.
For example, there's a push for a national standardization of ID's.

All well and good but they only people that will have access to the
encoded information on the license will be public safety and government.
Everyone else can go pound sand. But the bar codes and mag stripes all
follow open conventions so anyone with a decent sublimation printer and
plastic card stock could potentially create their own ID's. So long as
they don't get stopped for something nobody would ever know.

The only way we'll ever have secure ID and credit cards is if we lay in
several layers of security which most people won't put up with.

Oh yes, I forgot. The dirty little secret in those reporting agencies,
banks and payroll companies is how loose their security actually is.
This has been a stunningly bad month for business security what with T-
Mobile, ChoicePoint, Bank of America and a few others suffering data
security incidents that even an amateur could identify solutions for.
But they aren't amateurs, they're professionals. {If you missed the
dripping sarcasm, I suggest you read it again.}