Credit cards, false names, and important details

Duncan Frissel:

The many people who have gotten anonymous Visa and Mastercard credit cards for example have used the simple scheme of applying for a secured credit card in a nome de guerre.

How is this simple? A credit card company sure as hell wants to known who you truly are and where you truly live. It must be able to collect its debt and mark your credit rating. Applying for a credit card with false name or Social Security number is fraud, with heavy punishments. Or are there, yet again, numerous details you are neglecting to mention? Jim Hart hart@chaos.bsu.edu