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IDENTITY
THEFT IN ASSOCIATIONS?
By
Jan Bergemann
Published
December 12, 2014
Let’s
make sure everybody understands: Identity theft in associations
can’t really be avoided. Too many people have access to the
so-called “confidential records.”
Especially
in associations with the right to interview potential
owners/renters the danger of identity theft is huge. The
associations are normally asking the potential buyer/renter for
all the goodies any identity thief needs – and this
“dangerous” info is normally not very well protected.
Normally it’s kept in some office where too many people have
access. “Too many people” means too many eyes that can steal
this info.
And
in the end nobody knows who was the one using the info – or
selling it. Make no mistake: This info is valuable for the bad
guys and – as we have seen in various cases – they are
willing to pay good money for it.
And
since associations are not really able to properly protect all
this “dangerous” info they shouldn’t – in my opinion –
collect this info in the first place.
Don’t
forget: It’s as well a matter of liability!
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Jan Bergemann is president of Cyber Citizens For Justice,
Florida
's largest state-wide property owners' advocacy group.
CCFJ works on legislation to help owners living in
community
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associations. He moved to
Florida
in 1995 - hoping to retire. He moved into a HOA, where the
developer cheated the homeowners and used the association dues
for his own purposes. End of retirement!
CCFJ was born in the year 2000, when some owners met in
Tallahassee
- finding out that power is only in numbers. Bergemann was a
member of Governor Jeb Bush's HOA Task force in 2003/2004.
The organization has two websites to inform interested
Florida
homeowners and condo owners:
News Website: http://www.ccfj.net/.
Educational Website: http://www.ccfjfoundation.net/.
We think that only owners can really represent owners, since all
service providers surely have a different interest! We are
trying to create owner-friendly laws, but the best laws are
useless without enforcement. And enforcement is totally lacking
in
Florida
!
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