TELECOM Digest OnLine - Sorted: Identify Theft Victim Falsely Charged

Identify Theft Victim Falsely Charged

hancock4@bbs.cpcn.com
15 Dec 2004 14:08:32 -0800

There are more and more reports of devastating losses to identity
theft victims.

One troubling newspaper columnist report stated that authorities only
pursue criminals when the monetary loss is extremely large, otherwise
it's not worth their effort. This was very frustrating to one victim.

Another report (referenced below) described how another victim was
falsely charged with a serious crime and suffered as a result.

Apparently the victim's credit card was stolen, and the thief used it
to set up an illegal porn site. The victim was raided by the Feds and
his business computer (and livlihood) was confiscated. He was
eventually cleared of any crime, but that took months. He claims his
computers were seriously damaged in the process.

With today's heightened sensitivity toward illegal porn, one can't
help but worry about the risk of some sort of identity theft, either
to steal money or as a malicious way to attack someone.

See:

http://1010wins.com/topstories/local_story_349120748.html

If anyone knows additional details about this story, would you post
them?

[public comments only, please]

[TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: He should have gotten out of the matter
by *immediatly reporting* -- as soon as he knew of it -- of his loss
to his local police, *then* always referred to that report whenever
there were further consequences. But I do hope he sued FBI and other
government officials for the hassles he suffered as a result. PAT]

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