RE: "trust management" vs. "certified identity"

At 1:40 1/7/96, Frank O'Dwyer wrote:

>But it is usually easier to
>determine (and vouch for) who a stranger is than how trustworthy
>they are, if only because there are quick and easy real-world
>mechanisms for this (driver's licence, passport,etc.).   That's all
>I meant.

Though it may seem that way, I am not so sure that it is true. I am told
that you can buy a CA driver licence in the hispanic part of San Francisco
for about $50. Hologram and all. Reputations can take years to establish. I
am would feel more comfortable to sign certain statements about the
(on-line) character or technical skills of some people on this list whom I
have never met, than to sign the PGP key of an utter stranger that shows me
his Alabama ID card.


-- Lucky Green <mailto:shamrock@netcom.com>
   PGP encrypted mail preferred.

shamrock@netcom.com (Lucky Green) said:

LG> At 1:40 1/7/96, Frank O'Dwyer wrote:
>> But it is usually easier to determine (and vouch for) who a stranger
>> is than how trustworthy they are, if only because there are quick and
>> easy real-world mechanisms for this (driver's licence,
>> passport,etc.).  That's all I meant.

LG> Though it may seem that way, I am not so sure that it is true. I am
LG> told that you can buy a CA driver licence in the hispanic part of
LG> San Francisco for about $50. Hologram and all.

	60 Minutes did a report a year or so ago where one of their
reporters (Harry Reasoner, I think) purchased various fake IDs, ranging
from drivers licenses to 'green' cards.  The green cards he purchased
were virtually indistinguishable (in quality - the names varied (; )
from his genuine green card (the reporter was/is Canadian).

-- 
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On 8 Jan 1996, Sten Drescher wrote:

> shamrock@netcom.com (Lucky Green) said:
> 
> LG> At 1:40 1/7/96, Frank O'Dwyer wrote:
> >> But it is usually easier to determine (and vouch for) who a stranger
> >> is than how trustworthy they are, if only because there are quick and
> >> easy real-world mechanisms for this (driver's licence,
> >> passport,etc.).  That's all I meant.
> 
> LG> Though it may seem that way, I am not so sure that it is true. I am
> LG> told that you can buy a CA driver licence in the hispanic part of
> LG> San Francisco for about $50. Hologram and all.
> 
> 	60 Minutes did a report a year or so ago where one of their
> reporters (Harry Reasoner, I think) purchased various fake IDs, ranging
> from drivers licenses to 'green' cards.  The green cards he purchased
> were virtually indistinguishable (in quality - the names varied (; )
> from his genuine green card (the reporter was/is Canadian).

Someone got a McArthur grant for a study of this in Redwood City a couple
years back. She studied the long-term patterns of smuggling between towns
in the SF Bay Peninsula and central Mexico. I saw her speak once, but I
don't remember her name. I could probably find the reference if you're
interested. There haven't been that many McArthur grants.

Any decent book on private investigation should give you enough
information to pass as someone else. 

-rich
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