If the CG office wants to photocopy your DL...

[Ductape]

and keep it in their files, what is your response?

Driver's License in case that's not clear. I'll post back my own opinion later; don't want to tilt the scale at the outset.

Thanks for your thoughts.

[SolidAxleDurang]

fj12ryder wrote:
....Honestly, not everyone is out to get you.

I'm getting a chuckle thanks to some of the responses....

I'll wager that some of the biggest tin-foil hat wearers here will also refuse to use online bill pay due to fear of some jerk at the bank messing it up or hacking their account...

Yet they'll send a HARD COPY check across country through the hands of untold numbers of individuals wrapped in an envelope that looks EXACTLY like a "bill-pay" envelope... This check has name, address, account number, routing number AND an original signature.. Bonus points for the hand written VISA/MC account number written on the memo field..

LOL.

[ol_Bombero-JC]

Old-Biscuit wrote:
Information to Keep Private

Almost Never Provide Your...
*Driver's license---Though your state's Department of Motor Vehicles site may require you to enter this information, no other site should
*Social Security number----You can't check your credit rating at the sites of Experian, Equifax, and TransUnion without giving this information. No other site (except that of the Social Security Administration itself) should require it.

Very Infrequently Provide Your...
*Bank account number----Your bank will probably require this number when it sets up your online banking, as will any credit-card accounts you set up with automatic payments from the bank account. After that, no other sites should ask for or need this information.
*Passwords-----Only a site you're logging in to should ask for a password. Don't share one with any other site. Also, use a different password for each site, and avoid using real words in your passwords. If the resulting smorgasbord of passwords becomes confusing, use a password manager such as Password Safe.


Somewhat More Often (but Cautiously) Provide Your...
*Credit card number-----You can't shop online without it, but be careful with sites that you don't know by reputation. If your bank offers temporary or virtual credit card numbers, use them. Or keep a separate credit card account for purchases at sites you're not comfortable with.
*Mother's maiden name----This information could be used, along with other data, to steal your identity, so be careful. Some Web sites ask for this name to confirm release of your password if you forget it, but we recommend that you use other information, such as your high school or your pet's name, for this purpose, when the site allows you to do so.
*Home address---As with credit card numbers, you can't entirely avoid sharing your home address when you're making a purchase, but do so only when necessary: Identity thieves find this information quite useful.
*Date of birth---If bad guys get hold of this one, you can't change it. Many sites that ask for your birthdate do so only for marketing purposes, so fudge away. Others ask for it in order to verify your age.

Hmmmm - How do you spell paranoia???

Sooooo - *OLD* Biscuit - when you go to the doctor's office (or a Lab), they copy your Medicare card - the person(s) making the copies have access to your SS number (it's on the Medicare card).

Unless you use one of the pay-as-you-go (minutes) cell phones, most/all of the major cell phone companies require your SS number.
A sales clerk has access to your SS #.

*If* you are worried about identity theft, you should have credit freezes with each of the 3 credit agencies...:W

No big deal.

The sky is not falling...:S

~

[Old-Biscuit]

Information to Keep Private

Almost Never Provide Your...
*Driver's license---Though your state's Department of Motor Vehicles site may require you to enter this information, no other site should
*Social Security number----You can't check your credit rating at the sites of Experian, Equifax, and TransUnion without giving this information. No other site (except that of the Social Security Administration itself) should require it.

Very Infrequently Provide Your...
*Bank account number----Your bank will probably require this number when it sets up your online banking, as will any credit-card accounts you set up with automatic payments from the bank account. After that, no other sites should ask for or need this information.
*Passwords-----Only a site you're logging in to should ask for a password. Don't share one with any other site. Also, use a different password for each site, and avoid using real words in your passwords. If the resulting smorgasbord of passwords becomes confusing, use a password manager such as Password Safe.


Somewhat More Often (but Cautiously) Provide Your...
*Credit card number-----You can't shop online without it, but be careful with sites that you don't know by reputation. If your bank offers temporary or virtual credit card numbers, use them. Or keep a separate credit card account for purchases at sites you're not comfortable with.
*Mother's maiden name----This information could be used, along with other data, to steal your identity, so be careful. Some Web sites ask for this name to confirm release of your password if you forget it, but we recommend that you use other information, such as your high school or your pet's name, for this purpose, when the site allows you to do so.
*Home address---As with credit card numbers, you can't entirely avoid sharing your home address when you're making a purchase, but do so only when necessary: Identity thieves find this information quite useful.
*Date of birth---If bad guys get hold of this one, you can't change it. Many sites that ask for your birthdate do so only for marketing purposes, so fudge away. Others ask for it in order to verify your age.

[EV2]

7 rental cars......

Sorry, but to be true they had to have your credit card too. As a principal with three nationwide rental car companies, I can tell you they do not check numbers with DMV, but do have to have valid credit cards in the same name which are checked with the cc provider before the keys are handed over. Not getting the whole story here?

[D_E_Bishop]

I can't speak for anywhere else but in California, the only folks you have to surrender your drivers license to is a LEO or a Judge. The State will not tell me what is on the magnetic strip and no one scans my license. Enterprise Auto Rental used to require your SS#, I never gave that out either.

I have walked from both a motel and an Enterprise Office because they refused to rent to me without swiping my DL or give my SS#. It's the principle not any notion of loss of identity but just cuse I'm ornery.

[down_home]

Yes we've run into it at many motels, when we pay with cash especially.
They say Homeland Security.
I'm all for security but I don't want our travels tracked by centralized computer, for whomever's reasons.

[coolmom42]

SolidAxleDurango wrote:
The same thing happens at every hotel on earth.... How's this any different?

I've never had a hotel make a copy. Generally they look at it to see if the name and pic match the name on the reservation. That is all they have any reason or need to do, and I would not let them make a copy if they asked. This is NOT a homeland security thing. That is a load of BS.

I've had medical providers ask for photo ID, also to verify identity. Apparently using someone else's insurance is a fairly common fraud. They wanted to make a copy, and I told them I would just show it every time I came, there was no reason for them to have a copy--especially at some place I may never go to again.

My concern is identity theft---with a credit card number and all the info on your driver's license, a scammer could get a long way. A medical office has even more info, usually your SSN along with everything else. Medical offices are a prime source of info for identity theft, usually lifted by an employee.

[_en_Plain_Air_]

Be VERY careful allowing your DL copied. My DL number was stolen in an identity theft. They had a fake license made, using my number and address, their picture, then used the new license to rent cars ... 7 of them, forgetting to return them. The ID validation with my DMV proved the number, name an address was valid, so renting cars was easy. Imagine my shock when I started receiving 'where is our car' letters. It was a mess to straighten out. My state won't issue a new DL number.

[Executive45]

Ummm...EVERY casino makes a copy of your DL when you get one of their cards...:S....Dennis

[Naio]

They already have your address if they have your phone number, even a cell phone.

So much of our socity relies on people being nice. There are very few protections beyond that. It's amazing it works as well as it does.

[Jim_Shoe]

None of my credit cards have my picture or address on them, but my drivers license does. If you bolt without paying because the credit cards are stolen, they know where to find you. And the thieves know that.

[Gene_Ginny]

W4RLR wrote:
... my drivers license was scanned and returned to me. No photocopying necessary. ....

That scan makes a digital image of the front and back of the DL so of course they don't need a paper photocopy, they have the picture of it in the computer.

My doctor's office is the only one I allow to make an image. When I show up for an appointment they click on the name on the screen and my picture pops up. Yup, same ugly guy as in the picture. For all others it is "look but don't touch". They just need a picture to match the name and address on the DL to verify who I am.

A copy of the DL is NOT a homeland insecurity requirement. In many cases they are required to state that a positive identification was made and that can be done by looking at the DL to verify the person matches the picture and the address given matches the one on the DL.

[GaryWT]

He who owns the land makes the rules. If you walk you are not getting a refund. They already have all the info anyway and if someone is out to steal an identity, I am sure there are a lot of better places than a campground.

[fj12ryder]

SARGUY wrote:
Why would you give your Drivers License info to some clerk who already has your credit card info. Now he has your home address and other personal information. What possible legal requirement can justify his demand for this information? Don t do it, you WILL regret it if you do.

Oh bosh. The clerk already has your license plate number and state. How much effort would it be to find your name and address from that info? What the heck are they going to do with it anyway? Many places ask for DL info when you use a CC. It's just no big deal anymore.

Honestly, not everyone is out to get you.

[SARGUY]

Why would you give your Drivers License info to some clerk who already has your credit card info. Now he has your home address and other personal information. What possible legal requirement can justify his demand for this information? Don t do it, you WILL regret it if you do.