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Scams

by Mike Masnick

Thu, Feb 7th 2008 6:38am




Filed Under:
identity fraud, monacco, social networks

Companies:
facebook


Forget Identity Fraud, What About Facebook Identity Fraud?

from the the-next-problem? dept

There have been plenty of stories over the past few years concerning the problems associated with identity fraud -- but with more and more of an individual's "identity" moving online, it was only a matter of time until the problems of identity fraud moved online in a more complete way (beyond just accessing the data and buying things as someone else). For example, Moroccan authorities have arrested a guy for identity fraud in taking over a Morrocan prince's identity on Facebook. The details aren't clear (at all). It could be just that this guy set up an account pretending to be the prince, or he could have accessed the prince's actual site, somehow (though, the article does suggest that the prince doesn't have much of a real presence). This raises some interesting questions. If you're simply creating a profile of a real person and acting as that person -- is that identity fraud?

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  1.  
    identicon
    ChurchHatesTucker, Feb 7th, 2008 @ 6:46am

    Yup

    If you're simply creating a profile of a real person and acting as that person -- is that identity fraud?

    Isn't that the definition of identity fraud?

    Although there's the possibility that it was a parody site (ala fakesteve.)

     

    [ reply to this | link to this | view in thread ]

  2.  
    identicon
    OKVol, Feb 7th, 2008 @ 6:55am

    When in Morroco

    It's good to be king. And thou shalt not make fun of the king. In the US, you just wind up in Gitmo.

     

    [ reply to this | link to this | view in thread ]

  3.  
    identicon
    Anonymous Coward, Feb 7th, 2008 @ 7:07am

    OKVol, here in the US we don't have Kings although we do have someone auditioning for Queen.

     

    [ reply to this | link to this | view in thread ]

  4.  
    identicon
    Marilyn Monroe, Feb 7th, 2008 @ 7:10am

    Yes, pretending to be someone you are not is identity fraud.

    Lots of love,
    M.

     

    [ reply to this | link to this | view in thread ]

  5.  
    identicon
    Ed McMahon, Feb 7th, 2008 @ 7:13am

    Yes! You are correct sir.

     

    [ reply to this | link to this | view in thread ]

  6.  
    identicon
    Charming Charlie, Feb 7th, 2008 @ 7:15am

    Re:

    Yes, pretending to be someone you are not is identity fraud. Have you put any thought into how broad this rule is? It incriminates me for doing a George Bush impression in a restuarant for my friends.

     

    [ reply to this | link to this | view in thread ]

  7.  
    identicon
    DanC, Feb 7th, 2008 @ 7:20am

    Re: Re:

    "It incriminates me for doing a George Bush impression in a restuarant for my friends."

    It should probably depend on how good the impression is, I guess.

     

    [ reply to this | link to this | view in thread ]

  8.  
    identicon
    Enrico Suarve, Feb 7th, 2008 @ 7:22am

    Re:

    No Kings - Just Emperors ;0)

    Viva el chimp!

     

    [ reply to this | link to this | view in thread ]

  9.  
    identicon
    bored now, Feb 7th, 2008 @ 7:40am

    I'll bet....

    ... that Fake Steve Jobs has an opinion on this!

    Incidentally, @ OKVol - In France, truth is not a defence to the charge of defamation of a head of state!

     

    [ reply to this | link to this | view in thread ]

  10.  
    identicon
    Anonymous Coward, Feb 7th, 2008 @ 7:50am

    Legally, a fraud is a deception made for personal gain (perhaps but not necessarily at the expense of other parties). Hence, it's not identity fraud unless you're doing it for gain. It could be applicable to this case; we don't know specifics. As far as making people believe that person X has opinion Y by pretending to be X on Facebook, there are libel and slander laws to deal with that.

    There now, that wasn't hard and your resteraunt Bush impression is still good :)

     

    [ reply to this | link to this | view in thread ]

  11.  
    identicon
    Willton, Feb 7th, 2008 @ 7:51am

    Re: Re:

    Have you put any thought into how broad this rule is? It incriminates me for doing a George Bush impression in a restuarant for my friends.

    Well, are you actually representing yourself to be George Bush? I imagine you're not, considering your impression is designed to mock or parodize George Bush, not so that one would actually believe you are George Bush.

    Fraud is a misrepresentation of fact. Identity fraud is a misrepresentation of one's identity. If you are not actually representing yourself to the world that you are in fact George Bush, then you are not committing fraud.

     

    [ reply to this | link to this | view in thread ]

  12.  
    identicon
    Why?, Feb 7th, 2008 @ 8:08am

    Why the hell would anyone want to represent yourself as George Bush? That's probably the last ape on this planet I would represent myself as.

     

    [ reply to this | link to this | view in thread ]

  13.  
    identicon
    nipseyrussell, Feb 7th, 2008 @ 9:26am

    wait, am i committing identity fraud???
    even if nipsey russell is dead? (long live nipsey russell)
    cant be

     

    [ reply to this | link to this | view in thread ]

  14.  
    identicon
    Heath Ledger, Feb 7th, 2008 @ 10:12am

    Hi

    I like to take drugs and die.

     

    [ reply to this | link to this | view in thread ]

  15.  
    identicon
    George Bush, Feb 7th, 2008 @ 12:59pm

    No!!!

    Cause if...uh...identity fraud is bad, then, uh, it can't be good! And its not something people should do to me..! I mean...of me. For me, no, instead of me...
    No bad stuff!
    9/11!

     

    [ reply to this | link to this | view in thread ]

  16.  
    identicon
    Anonymous Coward, Feb 8th, 2008 @ 1:03pm

    Cause if...uh...identity fraud is bad, then, uh, it can't be good! And its not something people should do to me..! I mean...of me. For me, no, instead of me...
    No bad stuff!
    9/11!

    Don't quit your day job.

     

    [ reply to this | link to this | view in thread ]

  17.  
    identicon
    Amy Alkon, Feb 10th, 2008 @ 6:10pm

    Blog and Gmail Address That Were Created In My Nam

    I reported it to Google and they did fuck all about it. It was pretty nightmarish, actually. The site was a parody site, and I'm all for free speech and parody -- in fact, I would've linked to the site if it had been titled AmyAlkonSucks.com or something. But, it wasn't. It was advertised on various blogs as my official site, and the asshat who did it even posted comments on my own site, driving people from my site to the fake site. I got control of it, no thanks to Google. It sucked hours and hours of my time in writing appeals to Google, etc., asking them, not to shut down the site, but to make the guy stop making it look like it was my personal site and instead call it AmyAlkonIsABitch or whatever, and move the content there.

     

    [ reply to this | link to this | view in thread ]


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