Florida DMV

This is the sad story of Florida's Department of Motor Vehicles and a truck driver by the name of Roldolfo Fernandez.

Mr. Fernandez drives a debris truck. Florida DMV is pretty much the full load.

Mr Fernandez is a "solid employee" according to his employer, Eileen Damaso of World Waste Services, and earns about 35,000 a year clearing up our messes and hauling away trash heaps. He's also a young man with a child to support.

But he isn't driving these days and won't for at least another month. His identity was stolen and whoever swiped it then used it to obtain a driver's license in his name. Shortly afterward a rolling crime spree began and the real Mr Fernandez began racking up tickets and fines in states all over the Northeast - without his knowledge.

Mr Fernandez can prove he was in Florida when this happened. His time sheets show he was hard at work. Yet Florida DMV spokeman Frank Penela responded only by offering Mr Fernandez an additional 30 days to prove his case, stating, "Under federal law there are no hardship provisions".

House Rep Julio Robaina, a friend of employer Damaso, is trying to help by using his influence as a member of the Florida Transportation Committee, but admits that Fernandez will probably receive a 1 year suspension of his license if he isn't able to soon prove his innocence.

According to the Federal Trade Commission, there were 14,000 people in Miami-Ft Lauderdale who reported falling victim to identity theft last year. Increased use of the internet is said to be a major contributing factor.

"The Internet." Sounds so anonymous, doesn't it?

Well unless they've come up with a machine capable of lurking in a dark alley selling your identity, a more reasonable place to start looking is what's offered on the internet and by whom.

An easy first guess is your local land registry or recorder's office, which publishes full documents online containing names, addresses, social security numbers, copies of signatures, bank accounts, and more. All the things needed to steal an identity and much of what's required by Florida DMV.

If House Rep Julio Robaina really wants to help Mr Fernandez and countless others, he should take stern, swift action to shut down the information pipeline provided to criminals by the county recorder offices. Until that happens, the number of innocent victims will continue to skyrocket and Florida DMV will continue to stick its head in the sand.

For more information and ways you can get involved, go to www.FindMyID.com

Runnin' With The Devil

Remember that song? It came to mind yesterday when I stumbled onto an unsavory union between your county offices and professional data brokers.

I always wondered why the folks who could stop online records seemed oblivious to the danger while David, myself, and abstractors across the nation work feverishly to bring it to light. Now I know why.

Reading an article on one of the government forums the other day I saw the term "E-Council". E-Council? Oh please don't let it be what it sounds like. But it was.

North Carolina government boldly created an e-council; a mix of folks who study online records and how to increase publication across the state. This group is made up of several government officials and - no surprise here - data brokers. The same data brokers who profit from contracts with the state. The ones you pay taxes to support.

We can stop this if you'll drop by www.FindMyID.com and pick up a petition. Just pass it around the neighborhood, circle meeting, beauty shop, HOA meeting, the lodge, gym, anywhere people gather. Send it to your local registry or send it back to David at FindMyID and he'll be happy to take care of it.

Everybody Loves A Bargain.

Suppose your husband gleefully confided he got your engagement ring for a fraction of the price at a super sale.

Suppose that new Hummer you've been dreaming of was 75% off on Saturday.

Suppose the dream house in the country you've been saving for is now less than $50,000.

Sound too good to be true? You bet it is. You can also bet the ring is made of glass, the Hummer has a Vega engine, and the house is full of termites.

Still, careless people will always jump at a bargain without ever thinking it through. They don't stop to question if something is authentic or even safe. And that's the dilemma in the finance, title, and real estate industry today.

More and more companies hear of off-shore workers who can access American land records from their living rooms and will compile reports at a fraction of the price - and they jump - never stopping to consider safety factors.

Just a few years ago, one such group of data brokers decided they wanted a raise and if they didn't get it, your social security number, signature, banks accounts, and addresses would be sold on the black market. Eventually the companies caved, and they got their raise.

If you're like me, you're having trouble figuring out which one is the bad guy here.

What kind of person would hold such information hostage? Wait, what kind of person would entrust sensitive information to that kind of person in the first place?

We can all surmise the type of person the data broker is; we've seen their tactics exposed before Congress, and in breaches such as the Choicepoint and Nexus Lexus fiascos.

As unplatable as it may be to say out loud, the bad guy is a partnership between American companies and your very own local land registries. Remove just one of these folks from the equation and we'd all be a lot safer.

But that brings us back to The Bargain. Banks, credit card companies, insurers, and national title companies are gleefully confiding to their shareholders how much they saved and earned by outsourcing the very heart of who you are.

If you don't think it's dangerous, send me an email with your name, county, and state. No more. I'll search public records and send back a full report for your inspection, all free of charge.

www.FindMyID.com