Sergey Dryga wrote:

>>> I know that, even though I'm not sure I understand all the details why
>>> this is such a problem in the USA (compared to other countries). In
>>> fact I'm pretty sure I /don't/ understand the details... :)
>> 
>> Correct me if I am wrong: the USA (and Canada) have no central
>> registration of persons. So if someone decides to migrate from wets to
>> east he will register himself and hence create his new (localised)
>> identity. Identity in the USA is easily created.

I think one of the main differences (and I can only compare to Germany in
Europe) is that in Germany, the local registration is tracked. So if you
move to a place and don't show any de-registration from a previous place,
you of course raise a flag. I don't know how the exact procedures are, but
this type of tracking doesn't happen in the USA. This has to do with the
very strong federal nature of US public life.

> There is a central registration - Social Security Office.  All banks and
> other institutions will require social security number as one form of
> ID.  

That's probably the most serious problem in the USA. The SSN (Social
Security Number) is not and can not be an ID, yet it is used as an ID. The
thing is that due to the strongly federal nature of the average US mind,
the idea of a federal ID is practically impossible to even discuss. Yet the
need for a federal ID is so strong in practical life that the SSN has taken
the place of this federal ID -- but without being anything like an ID. It's
a number, maybe useful as a key in a database because the uniqueness is
somewhat guaranteed (but not 100% IIRC). But it can never identify anybody.
One of the reasons it's so easy to steal identities in the USA is because
of the strong association of identity with a mere number.

> I would guess that identity is as easily created in other countries as in
> US.  

I don't think so. For the two reasons cited above, it is much more
difficult in some other countries. Of course you always can get forged
documents, but that's then usually a bit more complex than it is in the
USA. I don't have any numbers handy, but it seems that identity theft is
not a major problem in Europe; much less at least than it is in the USA.

Gerhard

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