Boston.com / Business / Technology / Let's focus on the theft, not the identity

Boston.com / Business / Technology / Let's focus on the theft, not the identity: "Identity thieves like to open new charge accounts, using the victim's identity and good credit rating. Banks or merchants order credit reports before opening these accounts. But if there's a do-not-issue flag next to the victim's name, the agency must drop a dime before sharing his data. The would-be victim blows the whistle, and the crook gets nothing.
Do-not-issue isn't a cure-all, either, but it tackles an aspect of identity fraud that's usually neglected. In an age of ubiquitous computer networks, we'll never cut off the supply of sensitive personal data. But by limiting what crooks can do with our secrets, we may be able to dry up the demand for them."