Re: Safeway + Your Privacy

["Philippe Nave" <pdn@dwroll.dw.att.com>]

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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.

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