PRIVACY + SECURITY BLOG

News, Developments, and Insights

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How the FTC Can Readily Halt Identity Theft

by Daniel J. Solove Identity theft is terrible crime, and it can wreak havoc on victims’ lives. In an identity theft, the thief uses a victim’s personal information to improperly access accounts, obtain credit in the victim’s name, or impersonate the victim for other purposes. But there is an effective way to stop a lot […]

Verifying Identity: From One Foolish Way to Another

Social Security Numbers

For quite some time, banks and financial institutions have been using people’s Social Security Numbers (SSNs) to verify their identities. Suppose you want to access your bank account to check your balance, change addresses, or close out the account. You call the bank, but how does the bank know it’s really you? For a while, […]

Identity Thief Professors?

Identity Theft

If you’re a professor, want to make a quick buck?  Apparently, some professors have joined the ranks of identity thieves.  A community college professor stole the identities of three of his students and used them to fill out credit card applications in the students’ names.  According to a CNN story [link no longer available]: