I just read an interesting article in Wired which pointed out that credit card companies actually lobby against legislation which would make identity theft more difficult because there’s so much money for them in offering “fast and easy credit”. The article also contains a link to a page about this guy who wondered what would happen if he tore up a pre-filled credit card application form he was sent, stuck it together again with scotch tape, changed the address and phone number on the form and then sent it in. No prize for guessing that a shiny new card in his name turned up at the address he’d put on the form.
Whenever I get junk mail containing personal information I send it back to the sender telling them that if they continue to send me such mail I’ll ask them to contribute to the cost of a shredder. So, as a public service, I’ve made a handy form that you can print out and do the same thing yourself.
Identity Fraud form in pdf format.
The Torn-Up Credit Card Application
does sending it back work?
Well it works as a way of disposing of the form slightly more safely than chucking it in the bin. I haven’t really kept track of whether or not they actually take any notice of my requests for them to stop. I don’t specifically recall having received more than one form from any particular company, but then they might just be being restrained.