Re: Derek Bond and Stolen IDs.

[Roland Perry <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>]

In article <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>, Richard 
Bond <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> writes
> I?m sure it?s ?old news? by now but I came across, by chance, your
> discussion last May on ?the maths of biometrics and ID cards? and, in
> particular, your conversation about my father?s case. For information,
> as far as we can tell (and it?s never really been investigated), it
> never was a case of stolen identity but simply mistaken identity. It
> seems Derek Sykes back in the early 1990s used the pseudonym Derek Bond
> on a number of occasions (for fairly random reasons). The FBI somehow p
> icked up on this and, when my father visited the US, attached a warning
> label to his passport details. This seems to have then followed him
> around on his various travels after that so that, in effect, he became
> the man they were looking for because it was his passport details that
> were on the FBI records.  When he was arrested in South Africa they
> were convinced he was the right man because his real passport matched
> the FBI/interpol records. I?m not sure how this impacts on your
> discussion but I thought you?d be interested to know!

Useful as an example of (in practice every) unfolding case reported by 
the press - important details reported as fact turn out to be quite 
untrue. People then construct huge conspiracy theories on the sand.

Although another son, Peter, seems to have started the rumours with:

"We believe that he is the victim of an identity fraud where some person 
in the United States obtained details of his identity, including his 
passport number, and has used them for fraudulent purposes in the US,"

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/2795055.stm

It shows that there's nothing wrong with ID documents, but "watch lists" 
need a little more care. Cat Stevens might agree, although the position 
there is perhaps softening a little:

"Yusuf Islam, the British singer formerly known as Cat Stevens, has 
conceded some of his charity donations could have ended up in the wrong 
hands."

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/music/3727362.stm
--
Roland Perry