Page 1 of 3 123 LastLast
Results 1 to 10 of 25

Thread: Identity theft problem

  1. #1
    Site Caretaker Dave A's Avatar
    Join Date
    May 2006
    Location
    Durban, South Africa
    Posts
    22,648
    Thanks
    3,304
    Thanked 2,676 Times in 2,257 Posts
    Blog Entries
    12

    Identity theft problem

    Paramedic Joseph Sithole is fighting to get his life back after falling victim to identity theft - a crime phenomenon that has exploded in South Africa.

    Sithole was shocked when he received a tax bill for a construction job he knew nothing about and subsequently discovered that his identity had been taken over and used to secure employment, bank accounts and credit for a Mozambican national.

    And the 27-year-old is only one of thousands of South Africans who have experienced a similar fate.
    full story from IOL here

  2. #2
    just me duncan drennan's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jun 2006
    Location
    Cape Town
    Posts
    2,642
    Thanks
    119
    Thanked 94 Times in 77 Posts
    A friend of mine was robbed of about R30k due to a number of people simultaneously using fraudulent identity documents to draw cash amounts out of his bank account. It was a big mess with accounts being frozen, etc. etc.

    The bank refunded him all the money, but what was interesting to find out is that we have one of the easiest ID docs to copy. If this is a known fact (is it?) then why are measures not taken to curb the methods of this common problem?
    [SIGPIC]Engineer Simplicity[/SIGPIC]
    Turn ideas into products | The Art of Engineering blog

  3. #3
    Site Caretaker Dave A's Avatar
    Join Date
    May 2006
    Location
    Durban, South Africa
    Posts
    22,648
    Thanks
    3,304
    Thanked 2,676 Times in 2,257 Posts
    Blog Entries
    12
    I seem to recall that you don't need to go to all the trouble of copying - there were more than enough blank originals floating around. Or is my memory playing tricks on me?

  4. #4
    just me duncan drennan's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jun 2006
    Location
    Cape Town
    Posts
    2,642
    Thanks
    119
    Thanked 94 Times in 77 Posts
    Quote Originally Posted by Dave A View Post
    I seem to recall that you don't need to go to all the trouble of copying - there were more than enough blank originals floating around. Or is my memory playing tricks on me?
    Yes.....I think you are quite right. Maybe instead of buying a new printing machine for home affairs (see Mr Manuel's budget speech), they should just rent one from the criminals.....or is it possibly that the current printing machines are all being rented out to the criminals??
    [SIGPIC]Engineer Simplicity[/SIGPIC]
    Turn ideas into products | The Art of Engineering blog

  5. #5
    Email problem
    Join Date
    Apr 2008
    Posts
    9
    Thanks
    0
    Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts

    Identity Theft Ruining Our Lives

    I am posting this on behalf of my husband and would appreciate if anyone could assist with our problem.
    Two years ago my husband got his 1st learners licence at the ******* testing station on that specific day a gentleman asked him for his ID to do a check under the impression that this man works there my husband gave it to him in a rush to get done and after he recieved his learners he realised that the man that had his ID is gone. So he went to the department of home affairs and got a new ID, booked for his licence and when it came time to pay for the booking at the ******* testing station they refused to book him as they said he already has a licence since 2003.

    They printed his licence details from the eNATIS system that showed he got 2x learners licences 1x bike licence 1x temp drivers licence and 1x licence card issued 2003 (Also know that my husband got a restriction on his licence from a court in Nelspruit that he may only alppy for a licence in 2005)

    SO WHAT TO DO NOW?

    He cannot get his licence leagaly and do not want to get it illegaly the job he has requires for him to have a licence.

    When they said he has already got a licence he went to the police station and lawyers got advidavids ect. to prove that he had never had a licence accept for the learners that was issued in 2006

    Then with no choise he asked them to just give him the licence and obviously they refused. We do not know which way to go he cannot afford being without a licence for 1 day

    Please if you can assist or know of anyone that can assist reply to my email

    Thank you
    veronica@dione.co.za

  6. #6
    Gold Member
    Join Date
    Jun 2006
    Posts
    561
    Thanks
    32
    Thanked 49 Times in 32 Posts
    Veronica I really feel for you but unfortunately I have no useful advice.
    Regards

    Debbie
    debbie@stafftraining.co.za

    From reception to management training, assertiveness, accountability or interviewing skills, we have a wide range of training workshops available for you!
    www.stafftraining.co.za

    Find us on
    Facebook

  7. #7
    Site Caretaker Dave A's Avatar
    Join Date
    May 2006
    Location
    Durban, South Africa
    Posts
    22,648
    Thanks
    3,304
    Thanked 2,676 Times in 2,257 Posts
    Blog Entries
    12
    It's both shocking and scary. What gets me is the apparent lack of assistance from the government departments on something like this. After all, it's their systems that are being compromised. You'd think they would be really going all out to get to the situation resolved.

    There should be photos on record for starters. Although, when it comes to driver licences, I wonder how closely they check that the person getting the card matches the photo.

    Veronica, just how helpful and sympathetic have the government departments been in helping with this?

  8. #8
    Platinum Member SilverNodashi's Avatar
    Join Date
    May 2007
    Location
    Johannesburg, South Africa
    Posts
    1,197
    Thanks
    12
    Thanked 188 Times in 136 Posts
    Quote Originally Posted by dsd View Post
    A friend of mine was robbed of about R30k due to a number of people simultaneously using fraudulent identity documents to draw cash amounts out of his bank account. It was a big mess with accounts being frozen, etc. etc.


    The bank refunded him all the money, but what was interesting to find out is that we have one of the easiest ID docs to copy. If this is a known fact (is it?) then why are measures not taken to curb the methods of this common problem?
    Wasn't this what the ID-type drivers license was supposed todo, which then got rejected by the banks as an invalid form of identification?
    Last edited by SilverNodashi; 02-Apr-08 at 09:50 PM.
    Get superfast South African Hosting at WebHostingZone

  9. #9
    Email problem
    Join Date
    Apr 2008
    Posts
    9
    Thanks
    0
    Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts
    The day they said he already had a licence he went to the police station and got at least three advidavids which they sent to the head office in Pretoria He took 4 days off from work whith no pay and when head office oofice replied they said there is nothing they can do to change it they cannot just remove the licence. from the eNATIS system it showed that the photo & the ID number match but the fingerprints don't what we suspect is that someone working in the ******* testing station took his details and just changed the fingerprints what they are acctualy telling him is that his own fingerprint is a fake and that they cannot help him

    We are realy suffering because of this and it is a nightmare

  10. #10
    Site Caretaker Dave A's Avatar
    Join Date
    May 2006
    Location
    Durban, South Africa
    Posts
    22,648
    Thanks
    3,304
    Thanked 2,676 Times in 2,257 Posts
    Blog Entries
    12
    I guess my mind is just not devious enough to think why someone would want a drivers licence in somebody else's name and with somebody else's photo on it.

    But the long and the short of it - It is the licencing authorities that are the problem here, not Department of Home Affairs, then. Is that right?

Page 1 of 3 123 LastLast

Similar Threads

  1. HSPDA problem
    By Dave A in forum Technology Forum
    Replies: 41
    Last Post: 11-Feb-08, 09:11 PM
  2. Unemployed youth an international problem.
    By Dave A in forum General Business Forum
    Replies: 0
    Last Post: 30-Oct-06, 12:13 PM
  3. Telkom technical joke?
    By Dave A in forum General Business Forum
    Replies: 21
    Last Post: 02-Jun-06, 10:01 AM

Tags for this Thread

Did you like this article? Share it with your favourite social network.

Did you like this article? Share it with your favourite social network.

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •