Privacy, Security and Identity theft
So now its a crime to be a victim?
by Cheryl Baumgartner Medical Billing/Coding/Insurance
Cheryl Baumgartner 
Medical...
Every time I think I have seen the most unbelievable case of identity theft, something new comes along. How's this for unbelievable. You are an identity theft victim, the thief causes someone's death, everyone knows he is a thief and you are a victim but you get served with papers in a wrongful death suit right along with the thief?
That's right it's happening right now in Las Vegas. An identity thief used two stolen identities to rent a car. He used the name of one man and the driver's license of the other (Notice I did not say bank account or credit card?) to rent a car. The thief under the influence caused an accident resulting in the death of a 15 year old girl.I understand suing the thief, he was after all behind the wheel. What I don't understand is suing two people victimized by this thief. Both identity theft victims are named as defendants in the case.
I guess that means you've done something wrong by being the victim of a crime. It is becoming more and more apparent that identity theft is a convoluted nightmare for the victims. The person who only has his credit cards and bank accounts affected should count themselves blessed. These two men are looking at a court battle to clear themselves of liability, just like Anndorrie Sachs this nightmare has nothing to do with financial identity theft.
It's not your money the thief wants, it's your life
Apr 22nd 2008 10:55
Medical...Every time I think I have seen the most unbelievable case of identity theft, something new comes along. How's this for unbelievable. You are an identity theft victim, the thief causes someone's death, everyone knows he is a thief and you are a victim but you get served with papers in a wrongful death suit right along with the thief?
That's right it's happening right now in Las Vegas. An identity thief used two stolen identities to rent a car. He used the name of one man and the driver's license of the other (Notice I did not say bank account or credit card?) to rent a car. The thief under the influence caused an accident resulting in the death of a 15 year old girl.I understand suing the thief, he was after all behind the wheel. What I don't understand is suing two people victimized by this thief. Both identity theft victims are named as defendants in the case.
I guess that means you've done something wrong by being the victim of a crime. It is becoming more and more apparent that identity theft is a convoluted nightmare for the victims. The person who only has his credit cards and bank accounts affected should count themselves blessed. These two men are looking at a court battle to clear themselves of liability, just like Anndorrie Sachs this nightmare has nothing to do with financial identity theft.
It's not your money the thief wants, it's your life
Apr 22nd 2008 10:55
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Comments
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Jeff Greene
 Online Marketing Specialist/ConsultantThat's going to be right up there with the crazy case-laws and court decision mess-ups that going to result from rulings that are centuries behind the times, being applied to modern Life... Did you know that you can be are liable if your dog is stolen, and it bites the thief? Apr 22nd 2008 11:33 |
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Cheryl Baumgartner
Medical Billing/Coding/InsuranceThat's a good way to put it Arthur. Apr 22nd 2008 11:51 |
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Cheryl Baumgartner
Medical Billing/Coding/InsuranceThis whole this is based on an assumption used several years ago by Homecomings Financial to sue identity theft victim, Robert Korinke. They basically accused him of negligence for failing to discover he was a victim in a timely manner (WHAT!!!!!!). Because the Fair Credit Reporting Act sets a time limit for disputing fraudulent charges, creative lawyers use that as the backbone of these cases. You the victim have a (legal) responsibility to discover you are a victim. Apr 22nd 2008 14:58 |
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Arthur Webster
 Just plain honestyOf course we are getting dumber, Jeunelle, Haven't you realised that it is in the interest of every politician to ensure that he is more inteligent than the people he represents? To do this, politicians simply gang up with social engineers to ensure that there is no danger of an education being avavilable in any of our schools. Look at what is fed to the amoebic brains of T.V. addicts and you will see how well they are succeeding! There has to be something very wrong with an audience that will scream, whistle, stamp their feet and cheer because a quiz contestant actually gets an answer correct to a question the average five year old could answer without prompting. Apr 23rd 2008 03:10 |
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Cheryl Baumgartner
Medical Billing/Coding/InsuranceThere is actually a show to that effect here called "Are you smarter than a 5th grader?" I'm embarrassed to say the contestants are dumb as posts. But then again Jeff "You Might be a Redneck" Foxworthy is the host. Apr 23rd 2008 08:03 |
Hi, Cheryl,
It has been apparent for some time that there is the danger of a new criminal class being created - they are called "the innocent".
Here, in Spain, it is not unusual for motorists who maim or kill while driving, to sue their victim for the cost of repairing the damage to their motor car!
This is particularly stressful for the family of the victim, since it is they who are left to try to sort out the legal mess and, in the case of 'death by driver' they have no resources to defend the case in court. I suppose you would call it 'guilt by death'.
Oh. yes. Don't forget the numerous burglars, rogues and thieves who have been awarded damages against their victims if they felt that they had been harshly treated.
Looking at the case you mention, I suppose it will be just a matter of time before we are all blamed for every crime against us simply because we were daft enough to have what some thief wanted - 'guilt by ownership'?
Apr 22nd 2008 11:26