Three Years in Identity Theft Hell

Re:Three Years in Identity Theft Hell by Waterluvian on Saturday September 16, 2017 @07:40PM (#15267370)

In Canada you can't do anything meaningful without a photo driver's license or a passport. My wife got a passport just to have a quality ID. Before that she couldn't even open a chequing account.

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Re:Three Years in Identity Theft Hell by ev0l on Saturday September 16, 2017 @08:20PM (#15267521)

That's not entirly true. The branch manager has discression. I know because when I first moved to Canada I had no such ID and opened an account after asking for the branch manager.

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Re:Three Years in Identity Theft Hell by toomanybeersies on Saturday September 16, 2017 @09:50PM (#15267824)

How did you not have a passport when you first moved to Canada? How did you get into the country?

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Re:Three Years in Identity Theft Hell by jdboyd on Sunday September 17, 2017 @02:28AM (#15268480)

Until 2008, US citizens didn't need a passport to enter Canada. What initially changed in 2008 was actually that you needed the passport to return back to the US.

I don't know what the rules were back then for moving to Canada, but you could stay 180 days at a time back then.

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Re:Three Years in Identity Theft Hell by Waterluvian on Saturday September 16, 2017 @08:25PM (#15267538)

Thanks for sharing. I didn't know that. I always assumed it was policy. I've spent my whole life needing a driver's license or passport when I do anything money or government related.

I'm glad they can make discresionary decisions like that for special circumstances, such as someone who clearly can't have an ID or passport yet.

Mind if I ask, did they ask for your passport?

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Re:Three Years in Identity Theft Hell by tmnvix on Saturday September 16, 2017 @08:13PM (#15267498)

Ditto NZ and Aus. Also means that no national ID card or number is necessary. Seems kind of obvious to me. The use of SSN as proof of identity in the US just seems like misuse to me.

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Re:Three Years in Identity Theft Hell by chimeracoder on Sunday September 17, 2017 @10:25AM (#15269736)

> Ditto NZ and Aus. Also means that no national ID card or number is necessary. Seems kind of obvious to me. The use of SSN as proof of identity in the US just seems like misuse to me.

It's the same in the US too. The problem in the article is that the person had a legitimate driver's license issued in the stolen name with his own picture on it.

It's not just a simple as "he had the SSN".

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Re:Three Years in Identity Theft Hell by Waterluvian on Saturday September 16, 2017 @08:26PM (#15267542)

There's a fantastic CGP Grey video on that. I'd search for a link but on phone.

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Re:Three Years in Identity Theft Hell by tonyztan on Saturday September 16, 2017 @08:34PM (#15267575)

https://youtu.be/Erp8IAUouus

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