Originally published June 28 2005
Massachusetts Representative promotes privacy legislation after having identity stolen
by Mike Adams, the Health Ranger, NaturalNews Editor
After he and 13 other people with the same name had their identities stolen, Rep. Paul Casey, D-Mass., signed on to several pieces of identity theft prevention and privacy legislation now pending in the House and Senate, and even proposed a bill where companies providing credit would have to obtain a picture of the applicant, the Standard-Times reports.
Rep. Paul Casey, D-Winchester, was just one of the 14 Paul Caseys in Massachusetts who got a phone call from Boston Police two years ago.
But each Paul Casey heard the same message: Your identity has been stolen and a whole lot of debt has been run up under your name.
No Was my Social Security Number on my driver's license?
No. "The officer said, 'You're a case study in how to protect yourself.
A con man used information leaked by an employee of the Massachusetts Registry of Motor Vehicles to gain critical facts used by banks, stores and credit card companies to issue credit to all 14 Paul Caseys.
Like the other 13 Paul Caseys, his name, his birthday, his Social Security Number and his driver's license number were heisted, Rep. Casey said.
Rep. Casey has signed on to several of the pieces of identity prevention and privacy legislation now pending in the House and Senate.
Rep. William Straus, D-Mattapoisett, is coordinating a special Subcommittee of the Joint Committee on Consumer Protection that is reviewing every identity theft and privacy bill now pending before the committee at large.
Rep. Straus and other members of the subcommittee met with consumer advocates and representatives of the Attorney General's office and the credit industry on Wednesday to discuss better prevention measures.
While Mr. Casey has not been left to pay the debt granted to his name, he has been left with a credit record mess to clean up.
"A Porsche was parked outside the condo," Mr. Casey said.
"When the police went to the door, he answered wearing a leather jacket from Banana Republic with the tag still on it.
The police searched a desk in the condo and "found sheet after sheet of reams of names.
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