Technology and the Law

My mother told me about the latest trend in identity theft tonight. No longer do thieves have to steal your mail, wallet or purse. They need only pass by you with a certain gadget and they can scan your credit card. Add this to the perverts with their phone cameras in bathrooms and one could get downright hostile.

The sad fact though is the legal system has failed to keep up with the tech savvy criminal. Often penalties seem trite given the damage done to the victim. Identity theft is a good example. The penalties are often a few years versus a lifetime of struggling with the victim's bad credit and other matters. Worse yet foreign crime syndicates have gotten quite good at infiltrating and violating the credit card system.

I don't mean to scaremonger. But I do say this. Don't expect justice to catch up with many of these scofflaws on this side of the Veil.

Some simple things you can do. Try to limit the amount of cards you carry. If you don't plan on going to Nordstrom's, you probably could lock up that Nordy's card. Check your credit annually at least. The bureaus are required to give you a free report annually. Take them up on it. If something is hinky, contact your card company immediately then notify the bureaus(Experian, Transunion, Equifax). There is also a government website that you could check.(http://www.usa.gov/ is the web portal)

I do want people to remember that we are called not to worry. You can't live in fear everyday that some criminal is going to violate your rights. You certainly should not get bitter about the way things are going. What you should do is pray. Pray for changed hearts and minds. Pray that the Holy Spirit moves mightily in Washington D. C. for reform in the legal code. Pray for police at every level as their jobs are often thankless and dangerous. We are directed to pray for authorities over us that we may live in peace.