Student's photo captures ID theft danger

A shadowy figure sits at his computer, just waiting for the right moment to steal someone's credit card information.

[just me]

Great!

[Artsy]

Identity theft is such a huge problem in this country. Very scary.

[Crusty McCracken]

Identity Theft or "we don't really ask for identity" theft

Sprint sent me a cell phone bill for $491.00. I never had a sprint phone so I called them to find out what was up. They said that "I" opened an account in Baltimore, MD using a check from Asheville, NC. I explained that I never lived in Baltimore and never had a bank account in Asheville, NC.

Sprint told me that I must have been a victim of identity theft and that I should file a police report. I asked this simple question, "Do you have anything signed by 'me' setting up the account?" I could then verify if it was my signature. They told me, "No, it was done on-line". "What", I asked, "did you use to validate 'my' identity". They said, "Well he have your Social Security Number". I explained that, "My SSN is not my identity but simply a series of 9 numbers that the Social Security Administration uses as a serial number for folks." I explained that if I went to the Social Security Administration I would have to show a Government Issued ID to talk about my account. Thus, my SSN alone is not even good enough for the agency that issued the number, why would Sprint think it good enough for them. Again, they told me that I must have been a victim of identity theft.

I told them, "No, I am not a victim of identity theft but that they were a victim of shoddy business practices and that their loss was not my problem." I then politely rang off.

The point is that the scary hob-goblin of "Identity Theft" seems to be the 'easy out' for companies that don't care how they get their business. Don't fall for "you must be a victim of identity theft" when it is really "we don't really ask for identity" theft.

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