Chip and PIN

[Igor Mozolevsky]

On 24/01/2008, James Cox <james@imaj.es> wrote:
>
> On 24 Jan 2008, at 22:10, Igor Mozolevsky wrote:
>
> > On a separate note, can we please stop calling (at least on this list)
> > someone pretending to be you "identity theft" - nobody steals who you
> > are, in the sense that you no longer possess it - "identity mimicry"
> > is a more relevant and less sensationalistic term...
>
>
> No, i don't think so. I consider my Identity valuable. Tonly Blair
> just rented his for $5m a year to JP Morgan. I don't think there's
> anything wrong with calling it theft: if someone acquires your details
> sufficient to create lots of bad debt in your name, leaving you
> holding the bag, it's pretty darn impossible to get that wiped off
> your record. Your good creditworthiness will never be quite the same
> again.
>

But the point is that you *still* have your identity; it's not like
someone stole your car, trashed it and gave it back to you! If you
call it theft, it gives the impression that the identity is some
object you need to guard, cage, etc., and if we do it well nobody will
be able to steal it. On the other hand, if you call it mimicry, then
you acknowledge that there is some exposure that is inevitable, and
you work on minimizing that exposure, IMO.

Also, AFAIK, you can add notes to your credit profile and even have
things removed from it (obviously only the organisation that put it
there can do that)...


Igor :-)