-----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE----- killbarny@aol.com writes :
Safeway food stores has this neat little glitch in their shopping database that is just ripe for abuse and litigation. When you pay by check, your information is recorded and stored in their computers, so the next time you go in there and try to get out your ID [for your check], they say "Don't bother, we have that information."
So if Joe bad guy gets ahold of your checkbook, writes a bunch of checks, let's say, over a weekend, Safeway doesn't care because the computer sez your account is Kosher.
Hmmm... In this scenario, wouldn't Safeway wind up eating the bad checks? I realize that it would be a royal pain in the ass for the victim (the checkbook owner) to sort out the mess, but it would seem to me that the victim could prove that he/she didn't sign the checks, leaving Safeway in the position of having exchanged groceries for worthless paper. This same problem exists with credit cards to some degree, due to the lax verification processes in place ay many businesses, and there is some law that limits your liability in the event of card theft. Buying groceries may not immediately appear to be cypherpunks-related, but this thread does bring up a point about 'identity theft' and verification; I'd be interested to hear from the legal gurus on the Safeway/stolen checkbook idea. - -- ........................................................................ Philippe D. Nave, Jr. | Strong Crypto: Don't leave $HOME without it! pdn@dwroll.dw.att.com | Denver, Colorado USA | PGP public key: by arrangement. -----BEGIN PGP SIGNATURE----- Version: 2.3a iQCVAgUBLa7BbQvlW1K2YdE1AQHT/gQA2MZxQw+STucJybjOzyXoegh0RGSsVFCf kNe4ANK7w40tJ6ne8/OpR27lLoB+K2UIvAEq6ivC+VqAvSMCXF8ycSd2fG0lwdQv R5AC56K4wN77v9HlOU111oZYSqAbT5J5st6OWube6kUbBicNqnW95E5tNySdvz0L np/FBAi8TA4= =MzA6 -----END PGP SIGNATURE-----