[lug] Reasons to wipe drive (was Re: drive free space "wiper" recommendation)

[Davide Del Vento]

Hi,

> Nobody cares about your balance, it's the bank routing and account numbers
> that are important.

Thanks for the information.

> Whip up some fake checks and by the time you fight it
> out with the bank I'm long gone with your money.
>
> Ditto online brokerage accounts.  It's not because someone can peek, it's
> because somebody can authorize a wire transfer of your funds to the Cayman
> Islands.

I think this is something outrageously wrong with the bank system (and
not only, I think it's the same with social security numbers,
magazines, or even just your address): the bad guys just need to know
a few information and can steal your money/identity or get a credit
card in your name.

I think this should work differently: the checks have a signature, and
the bank has your signature - they shouldn't cash it if they don't
match (yes, an attacher might fake your signature, but that will be
harder than just lurking a couple of numbers).

My bank even ask for a spoken password when I go there in person.
Although it's better than nothing, I think this is very annoying (too
many passwords for me to remember) and very broken too: anybody
listening behind my shoulder could pretend to be myself next month and
get my money. They should check my photo ID instead! And for
transactions higher than some value, they should take a picture of the
photo ID and possibly of myself too. A thief will have an harder time
to fake my photo ID, and the police will have their picture if they
succeed stealing my money.

Never understood why "the system" is so broken...

Davide
PS: sorry for being grumpy, this discussion remembered me of when they
"stole" my address reading it from the cover of a magazine I am
subscribed to.... Now I shred the cover before tossing it in the
recycle bin, but what a PITA!!