Re: BEST Inc.

To: SGT=DARREN=S.=HARLOW%ISB%MCTSSA@nwsfallbrook3.nwac.sea06.navy.mil
>> 
>> 	I was in a BEST store yesterday, and attempted to pay by check.  They 
>> asked for ID to verify the check and when I handed them my military ID, they 
>> asked for my driver's license instead.  I gave them my driver's license and 
>> they used it and the magnetic strip on the back of it to verify my check.  I 
>
>[stuff deleted]
>
>From what I know, there is no law that says you have to keep that 
>magnetic strip up to date.  Just have a little meeting between it and Mr. 
>Refridgerator magnet and you could end up with some surprising results.

What is not clear here is whether the information that comes up on 
the point-of-sale terminal is encoded on the card or is in their
"neat little database" on the network into which they are tuned.

I don't know, but I guess this might mean that the paper driver's 
licences we use here in the back woods are soon to go the way of
the buggy whip. The military ID should have been enough - I would
assume that, especially in the largest armed force ever assembled
by man, it is easier to fake a drivers licence than a military id.
But I've been wrong before...

If the info is on the card, follow the refrigerator magnet idea
if you don't want them to cash your cheque. Or do as the Sarge did.
Then, instead of having a record that you purchased Pentouse Letters
on April 14 at 10:33 pm in Mac's Milk on the corner of Broadway
and 110th, they have a record of your withdrawal of 50 bucks from
the atm and a picture in their video database as you did the
withdrawal. Six of one, half a dozen of the other.

If the info is in the database, and it is (even though _this_
pos terminal may not have access to it) then - well, if you object
to this, keep up with cp and other fora, get yourself some fake
or anonymous id's (?), write code, use pgp, become judgement proof,
move and don't set up forwarding addresses, have your id killed, etc.

	Bill Garland,
		whose .sig just vanished

On Tue, 19 Apr 1994, Bill Garland wrote:

> the point-of-sale terminal is encoded on the card or is in their
> "neat little database" on the network into which they are tuned.
> 
>
	In my area the drivers liscence don't have magnetic
	strips or anything like that.  It is also a common
	practice to forge Military IDs which are easier marks
	since there is a large airforce base nearby with af kids
	galore.  Something like Adobe or some other decent
	photo-shop, graphic editing software and a good laser
	printer and scanner can basically make you almost any ID
	you want when you know where to get the needed supplies
	from.  You can by the special laminating material etc..
	and then do a bit of computer art and you have yourself a
	new fake ID.  Look in like Loopmaniacs catalogs and other
	similiar publications ofr sources for blanks.


> I don't know, but I guess this might mean that the paper driver's 
> licences we use here in the back woods are soon to go the way of
> the buggy whip. The military ID should have been enough - I would
> assume that, especially in the largest armed force ever assembled
> by man, it is easier to fake a drivers licence than a military id.
> But I've been wrong before...

	Mil IDs are easy, BUT supposedly they are coming out with
	newer ones that would be very difficult and would wipe
	out most of the little guys making the fakes.

> 
> If the info is on the card, follow the refrigerator magnet idea
> if you don't want them to cash your cheque. Or do as the Sarge did.
> Then, instead of having a record that you purchased Pentouse Letters
> on April 14 at 10:33 pm in Mac's Milk on the corner of Broadway
> and 110th, they have a record of your withdrawal of 50 bucks from
> the atm and a picture in their video database as you did the
> withdrawal. Six of one, half a dozen of the other.
> 
	Or do as I do, which is easy for me considering i don;'t
	have too much income or t5ansactions going on since I am
	relatively young, unestablished etc..  which is to put it
	in a savings account without an ATM card and then cash my
	checks at a local mini-mart, and do all transactions with
	cash afterwards.  Sure I cant get anything for investing
	etc.. but my cash-flow is low enough that it makes little
	difference to me.  The problem with this is that in order
	to subsrice to services and such that require a check or
	credit number I can either get my parents to do it, or
	find another method that doesnt connect to me.


> If the info is in the database, and it is (even though _this_
> pos terminal may not have access to it) then - well, if you object
> to this, keep up with cp and other fora, get yourself some fake
> or anonymous id's (?), write code, use pgp, become judgement proof,
> move and don't set up forwarding addresses, have your id killed, etc.
> 

	This is a topic I am interested in giving the light of
	recent events with Big Bro moving in.  Is there any
	precedence for the use of technology for killing your old
	ID, or generating a good fake or anonymouse one(false,
	but not deep)?  Even at only nineteen I am sure that I
	have mucho info in databases around the nation and
	elsewhere, not criminal or anything sjust your standard
	marketing databases and such.  Hell I can barely program
	and im on mailing lists for Borland programming
	conventions.  All of this from becoming a favored
	customer at B.Dalton and Waldenbooks.  That's just the
	beggening I am sure.  Our school here uses Social
	Security numbers as student ID numbers.
	As cypherpunks can anyone suggst ways to protect yourself
	from such encroachment thru technology, sicne that is the
	main topic here.  In case some people just kill this
	thread before getting to the bottom of this post, since
	it has dicresses abit from the original point, Ill post
	another seperate post listing some of my ideas on this
	topic of protecting your privacy from such things, tho it
	is a continuous thread in this list.



> 	Bill Garland,
> 		whose .sig just vanished
> 

	You're eqipped with a hundred billion nueron brain, that's
	wired and fired, and it's a reality generating device, but
	you've got too do it.  Free youself  ----Tim Leary----