Originally Posted by robsawatsky

With the rise in identity theft, I believe more attention needs to be made to confirming exactly who the parties to a transaction are. Even without deliberate identity theft, mistaking two different people of the same or similar names can create all sorts of problems, as I have personally experienced:

1. Stockbroker with same first/last name as me skips out on hotel conference room payment, the hotel comes after me. Resolved with one phone call.

2. Get a call from a US Securities Exchange Commission investigator about the same guy in # 1. Also resolved with a simple phone call.

3. Process server contacts me about a garnishee payment issue from a Heating contractor operated by a guy with almost identical name as me. Actually knew this guy due to association in same ethnic/church background. This could have really damaged my credit rating if it got filed against me instead of the other guy but thankfully convinced the server that I've never been associated with such a business but knew who it was and who founded the business (his father).

4. Accused of passing a bad cheque by The Bay - was due to a altered driver's license (my wallet stolen a while before hand) and a forged signature on a counterfeit cheque. Had to give a written afadavit stating it weren't me.

Most of these appear to have happened because either a phony address was given or the person has moved and they tracked me down using the phone directory to reverse look-up the name.