When I first started my PayPal account and I wanted to verify my address they mailed me a letter with a URL and code to enter to verify. This was a few years back so they may have changed the process since Ebay took over. I've had to move since then and it was a breeze as long as the credit card on file had the same mailing address.
I understand that identity theft is a big issue these days, but you have to trust someone if you want to get anything done. I chose PayPal because I only use one credit card on the net and can check the website to see if any fraudulant charges were made. Most credit card companies even call if big purchases were made just to verify it was you who made them. I've been buying and selling on Ebay for a few years now and I don't like shipping to unverified addresses because PayPal doesn't protect me if someone claims I shafted them.
emjaybee,
Things have not changed from that. However while paypal has verified my account by talking to my bank and depositing two small amounts of money into my acount, which I then reported back to them, allowing them to know that I at least have access to the account to which they then verified, the confirmation process of an address is done much differently. The rules as they currently exist are that:
1. I have to be a member in good standing with at least 10 transactions, and my membership has to be at least 90 days old.
2. Upon logging into my account and verifying that those points are true they send me a secret code to my alternate address.
3. I log into my account and enter that secret code.
4. Then they require me to send them a picture ID with my address on it, along with two recent utilty bills that were sent to that same address.
If I do that they are happy and will confirm that alternate address. One thing of note. I have all of my medical and financial correspondence sent to a PO box. It does no good to confirm a po box because some carriers, such as UPS, refuse to ship to PO Boxes.
I also suggested that they could just ask my bank for the second address because it has both. And since eBay owns Paypal, the same information could be obtained from them as well. You just don't conduct nearly 100 transactions involving thousands of dollars of merchandise, with nobody complaining if something is amiss. You don't achieve 100% feedback worth 1000s of dollars, either buying or selling if your having thing shipped to the wrong address. EBay can tell Paypal that, just as my Bank can tell Paypal that my second address is legit, it Paypal cared to just ask, don't you think?
You mentioned identity theft. If I fax Paypal a picture of my driver's license, and they get hacked (and they will, if it hasn't happened already despite their claims to the contrary), then the bad guys would have everything they need at that point to make my life a living hell.
How come you only hear about when websites get compromised? Because it doesn't happen often enough so it's considered news. Facts are, you're safer dealing with online purchases than offline purchases. People go to restaurants and pay with credit cards everyday. Just hand it to the waiter/waitress and they don't think anything of it as the server walks out of site to pay the bill (and write down the credit card info since they only make $2.00/hr plus tips). After their meal they go to almost any retailer and buy whatever. Receipt prints out, you sign the merchant copy and you get the customer copy which has your credit info XXXX out. To bad the cashier making minimum wage has the receipt that has your credit card information without the XXXX on it.
I don't pay for meals or other things which require me to be separated from my CC. And I don't use my CC for much anyway, and never use a debit card either. I pay with cash whenever possible.
This type of hypocracy upsets me considering the websites are doing more to prevent fraud because they know people are going to target them saying they're not safe. What people need to do is look at the people handling their offline transactions.
What's a geek to do? Take off the tinfoil hat and get educated about the real problems of the system.
Seems like it's hard to state your opinion on the web without someone seeing it as either a personal attack, or an opportunity to mount one.
I'm not a hyprocrite. And while I admit to being a geek, I do not and never have worn a tinfoil hat. (Though I might if I thought it would make me wifi work better ;o))
And you don't hear about financial crimes, or crimes against financial institutions very often because those victimized go to great lengths to keep such things quiet. It's very bad for business, don't you know.
Here's a little light reading:
http://www.hotelmarketing.com/index.php/co..._offline_world/
http://www.consumeraffairs.com/news04/2005...ft_offline.html
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I'll take a look at your articles, but you might want to take the blinders off long enough to take note of the fact that identify theft takes on many forms, and is used in many ways. The perpretrators after all are in it for the biggest bang for your buck. They don't care if that is on-line or off-line, so long as it's your name on the signature line. In the meantime I'll continue being as careful as I can and hope for the best. And if there is any truth to safety in numbers, maybe the sharks will eat the other little fishes before me, cause I'm not going to be one of those on the leading edge of the school (technology), where the sharks will be looking for the easiy pickings, lazy SOBs that they (the bad guys) are.
Best Regards,
gdog
