Real life pseudonyms (was re: more ideas on anonymity)
Douglas Sinclair writes:
I don't know the US laws on pseudos. However, here in Canada one is allowed to go by whatever name one wishes PROVIDED it is not for fraudulent reasons. This also includes signatures -- I can sign as whoever I wish. However, if the contract has a clause saying "This is the name by which I am legally and correctly known" then you are commiting fraud by signing with a psuedo. This is in the fine print of a surprising number of things <sigh>.
I remember reading or hearing something similar as it applies in the United States. It seems that, as long as you're not committing a crime or a fraud, in the process, you may identify by whatever name you wish. Can anyone with a legal background confirm or deny this? However, I am wondering if it also legal to present false ID in order to insure your privacy/anonymity. And isn't misrepresenting your true identity considered to be a fraud in and of itself? For instance, can I walk into a U.S. bank, present false ID, and obtain a checking account to use for legitimate reasons? How about a credit card? Is this legal? I mean, I'm not stealing any money/products/services from anybody, I'm only using a pseudonym.
On Sun, 28 Feb 93 9:51:36 EST, thug@phantom.com (Murdering Thug) said:
MT> I remember reading or hearing something similar as it MT> applies in the United States. It seems that, as long as MT> you're not committing a crime or a fraud, in the process, MT> you may identify by whatever name you wish. Can anyone MT> with a legal background confirm or deny this? Not being a lawyer, but an engineer with unhealthy interest in such matters, I've looked a few things up and it appears that in most relationships, using an assumed name is not fraud, unless "intent to defraud" is present. Needless to say that's not very clear-cut these days. MT> However, I am wondering if it also legal to present false MT> ID in order to insure your privacy/anonymity. And isn't MT> misrepresenting your true identity considered to be a MT> fraud in and of itself? Again, using aliases does not appear to be "malum in se", that is, evil in and of itself. BUT, one thing I found in the course of doing a Westlaw search on the use of Social Security Numbers:The federal laws on SSN use were amended for the purpose of preventing welfare fraud, and wound up with a potentially threatening modification. The law used to say that it was illegal to give an invalid SSN in certain circumstances, for the purpose of obtaining gov't benefits inappropriately. The bad news is that it says that, but with "or for any other purpose" appended. Thus, it appears that tossing around bogus SSNs (which are still on many driver's licenses - sigh) could well be an offense in and of itself. I'll try to dig up the citations. --Strat
participants (2)
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strat＠intercon.com -
thug＠phantom.com