Mr. MCINTOSH. Our second witness on this panel is Mr. Grindley from Georgia. Thank you for coming. Share with us a summary of your testimony. Mr. GRINDLEY. Thank you, Mr. Chairman, and members of the subcommittee. I would like to take this opportunity to thank you for inviting me here to testify about this very important issue that affects every American citizen. I am a member of the Georgia General Assembly. I have been there two terms. And over the last couple years, I have been very interested in issues of privacy and I have passed some legislation regarding it. I recently pushed through the Georgia House legislation that would remove Social Security numbers from driver's licenses. I went first to the head of the State Patrol, and got his authorization. He said, it would be no problem. It passed overwhelmingly. After we left the session, he wrote a letter to the Governor, urging him to veto it under some guise. It turned out that the reason for this urged veto was he found out that if he didn't place Social Security numbers on the driver's licenses by the year 2000, there would be Federal money taken from the State of Georgia. Luckily, through the media we raised public concern about my proposed legislation and the Governor did sign the bill. In a nutshell, Mr. Chairman, I introduced this legislation because millions of Americans realize that the use of the information superhighway has continued to expand and there is a new type of fraud that is available. With just a few pieces of information, like what has already been expounded on here, people are able to transfer money from your bank account. With only the last four digits of your Social Security number, crooks can authorize credit cards and so on. The key to unlocking all these doors is through the Social Security number. Through my research I found out that in the State of Georgia, if you have someone's Social Security number, name and address, it is worth $50 on the street. You can see the multiplier here. On one hand, $50 isn't a lot, but it can quickly ruin someone's life. There is something else that you need to be aware of that I just found out about yesterday. There is an Internet address of www.iqdata.com where I went yesterday and signed up. I was going to try to get your Social Security number for this meeting but it takes a couple of days. For only $12.50 I can get the most personal information that you can imagine, including your Social Security number. There is another data-base that for $30 I can get your mother's maiden name. What possible use would you have for this information other than to verify and to use this for fraudulent activities? There are some 10th amendment questions here. Probably the biggest concern I get from my constituents is about encroachment on the States by the Federal Government. You all know, no offense, it seems like you are making a huge power grab. Over and over my constituents are saying, "Can we do something?" And, you know, the folks I talked to said, well, you can't start a lawsuit until you can demonstrate that somebody has been personally damaged, be cause it is kind of a roundrobin type thing. But I think we will get to that. I had someone hand me a training manual from Nigeria that explained how to come to the United States, how to assume someone's birth certificate that has died within 10 years of your age how to assume their identity, and get Social Security numbers. From that, I did a little research in my own State and I found out that the State did not mark "deceased" on birth certificates. I asked why and they said, no one had ever asked them to. I passed legislation subsequently that requires the State of Georgia now to stamp "deceased" on birth certificates, and they have said it will save millions of dollars from fraud cost simply from that one word. I am not one that is going to propose national data-bases, but if you were going to have one, maybe a national data-base of deceased would be the appropriate way to go. Mr. MCINTOSH. Maybe the private sector will create that as well. Mr. GRINDLEY. Maybe. But I think that is an important safeguard. Mr. MCINTOSH. Have you ever had anybody in your State held liable for identity theft after the person had died? Mr. GRINDLEY. Not to my knowledge. Mr. MCINTOSH. Thank you, Mr. Grindley. I appreciate it. Thank you for your good efforts at the State level. By the way, do you still have that training manual? Mr. GRINDLEY. I do in my files at home. Mr. MCINTOSH. If it is not difficult, please send us a copy of that, I would like to put it in the record. Mr. GRINDLEY. I can do that. [The information referred to follows:] 8:RTH CERTIFICATES ALL 1.D. STARTS WITH A BIRTH CERTIFICATE: WITH THIS DOCUMENT ISSUSE BY THE STATE ITSELF, YOU CAN OBTAIN ALL THE OTHER FORMS OF OFFICIAL .. NEVER CEE ANY I.D. THAT IS NOT ISSUED BY THE VARICUS AGENCIES, THEMSILVES. ANY I.D. THAT IS DOCTORED OR PRODUCED IS ABSOLUTELY WORTHLESS AND NCT WORTH THE PAPER TT IS PRINTED CN. THE TRICK IS TO HAVE THE STATE OR GOVERNMENT ISSUE YOU DIRECTLY THE VARIOUS FORMS CF 1.D. YOU NEED. ALL YOU NEED IS THE REGULAR BIRTH CERTIFICATE - SCHECHE ELSES – THAT IS: FOLLOW THE BELOW LISTED INSTRUCTIONS EXACTLY AS THEY ARE WRITTEN AND YOU WILD EXTE NŐ PROBLEMS. REMEMBER, THESE HAVE BEEN TACED AND THEY WORK. BUT WHO IS SCHECHE ELSE? CEVIOUSLY I CAMICT BE SCHECNE WHO IS NOW LIVING, SINCE YOU WOULD BE DUPLICATING AN EXISTING SET OF 1.0. WHICH WOULD LEAD TO' AN EARLY AND EASY DETECTON BY SOMEONE WHO JUST MIGHT CHECK YOUR I.D.. THE SCHECNE ELSE MUST BE THEN : (A) A PERSON OF YOUR SEX (3) A PERSON OF YOUR RACE (C) A PERSON OF YOUR APPROXIMATE AGE AT ́PRESENT TIME IF HE OR SHE I WILL NOW EXPLAIN THE THREE SUCCESSFUL METHODS, ALL OF WHICH ENABLE THIS FIRST METHCO LETS YOU TASE CVER "LIVING" FOR A PERSON WHO HAS THE NEXT STEP IS TO WRITE THE FUNERAL HOME, CEMETARY, CR EVEN THE FAMI HAVE HIS CFFICE AND FILES AT THE COUNTY SEXT. A GUZEX CHECK OF THE IN THE CEITUARY METHOD YOU HAVE TO REMEMBER THAT IF YOU USE THE BIRTH THE BIATH CERTIFÍCATE YOU OBTAIN USING THIS METHOD ENABLES YOU TO |