OPW – Mar 23 – A recent article in the New York Times entitled"How Privacy Vanishes Online" explains how easy it is to identify a
target and obtain his or her personal information after compiling
certain snippets of detail about that person. According to the article,
"Services like Facebook, Twitter and Flickr are oceans of personal
minutiae — birthday greetings sent and received, school and work
gossip, photos of family vacations, and movies watched."
The Maryland legislation might be making it even
easier for an aspiring identity thief to obtain the identity of a
Maryland resident under the regulations of the International Marriage
Brokers Bill. Especially if a Marylander has had a brush with the law.
Some of the records that Maryland residents would be forced to present,
contain identifiable information about the individuals involved, such
as their address, age, and date of birth. The intent of the bill will
require this information to be turned over to foreigners before the
Maryland resident can even communicate with them. Under the
circumstances, the bill might open the doors for criminals to use fake
profiles and accounts with dating companies, as a method of mining
personal information from Maryland residents. The Bill in general
could potentially put Maryland citizens at risk.
easier for an aspiring identity thief to obtain the identity of a
Maryland resident under the regulations of the International Marriage
Brokers Bill. Especially if a Marylander has had a brush with the law.
Some of the records that Maryland residents would be forced to present,
contain identifiable information about the individuals involved, such
as their address, age, and date of birth. The intent of the bill will
require this information to be turned over to foreigners before the
Maryland resident can even communicate with them. Under the
circumstances, the bill might open the doors for criminals to use fake
profiles and accounts with dating companies, as a method of mining
personal information from Maryland residents. The Bill in general
could potentially put Maryland citizens at risk.
Identity theft is the fastest growing crime right now and there doesn’t seem to be much protection for internet users. My only consolation is that, unlike 10 years ago, credit card companies will actually believe you when you say your identity was stolen.
Identity theft is the fastest growing crime right now and there doesn’t seem to be much protection for internet users. My only consolation is that, unlike 10 years ago, credit card companies will actually believe you when you say your identity was stolen.