Divorce Balance

Negotiation > Recovery > Enhancement

Tuesday, December 21, 2004
Bar Identity Theft from the Courtroom

Last Friday I received a letter from the Friend of the Court in Timbuktu County (I made that name up to protect the innocent, although all other details here are authentic).

"So what?" you might ask. Given my profession, you could think it was commonplace. Or you might assume it was personal, having something to do with my own divorce.

Nope. It wasn't either of these.

It was a "Notice of Order to Withhold Income for Child Support" — addressed to a business I haven't run in more than 16 years. It had been mailed to the originally registered address of that corporation; the letter was delivered there before being forwarded on to me, here.

Oh, yeah, one more thing: It instructs me to withhold and remit amounts for an "employee" who has never worked for me.

Here on this contemporary, computer-generated form is the antiquated tax identification number for that obsolete enterprise. It should have been dusty. When I last used it in 1988, the crispest way I had for providing it was off an IBM Selectric™ III typewriter.

Identity theft is what I suspect here.

We've had a section on it in our divorcePeers.com Security page of since its inception four years ago. There, we caution: "Some experts say our identity can be stolen by a perpetrator who has nothing more than our name and Social Security Number."

How many times are you asked for your Social Security Number on documents you submit to the court en route to divorce? or do you simply infer that you should provide it for exacting identification? (After all, one wouldn't want to exert all this effort, only to find out that he or she had ended a marriage to the wrong spouse.)

And you already know that everything you file with your county clerk is a matter of public record, right? Anyone can look at it — and purchase copies, if they wish — without even giving a reason.

Macomb County officials underscore this on their "Confidential Asset Disclosure Sheet," warning: "Do not file with the court!"

Sure, there are legitimate reasons for employers, banks, and the like to have your Social Security Number. But the Federal Trade Commission reminds us: "You don't have to give a business your SSN just because they ask for it." Ask questions.

• Why do you need my SSN?

• How will my SSN be used?

• What law requires me to give you my SSN?

• What will happen if I don't give you my SSN?

I also strongly recommend that you check out the Privacy Rights Clearinghouse along with its "Identity Theft Resources." Additionally, see the Identity Theft Resource Center.

My business records weren't exactly stored on ENIAC — but you could have knocked me over with a feather when I saw how they could be used in Timbuktu County today. We really can't be too careful.

As a matter of fact, how can you be sure this is an authentic Divorce Balance column?

—posted by Dell Deaton @1:37 AM EST 12/21/2004 [500]

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