JAFB

What If Somebody You Know Steals Your Identity? ∞ Get Rich Slowly

This is just a tragic story, and such an interesting subject. In reading it I got to thinking about my conflicting impulses when I consider “what if?” and it made me wonder why I had some of the more sympathetic reactions.

After all, if a family member had assaulted me, would I be as sympathetic? If they’d endangered my life in some other way - say, tampering with medication I took - would I be as inclined to simply feel for them? What about if they’d endangered my livelihood somehow, like say abusing some resources I had professionally, or using my name and risking my reputation?

It’s so odd once we involve money in the equation. Chances are we’d all advise our sister to call the cops if her long-time boyfriend punched her and gave her a black eye, but would we do the same if he took out a credit card in her name and ran up debt she might be held responsible for? Chances are we’d scoff at excuses like “he’d had a bad day,” or “he’d been drinking” but “he couldn’t get credit in his own name” or “he’d been making all the payments on the account” might incline us to pause.

The reality is that the credit has the potential to be significantly more damaging to her life in the long term than a black eye ever could. Somehow we’re more quick to say that someone who’d physically abuse you doesn’t deserve your love, but fiscal abuse is indirect enough that we are less quick to make that claim.

I don’t know what’s right in this kind of situation, but it’s certainly food for thought.