Force an Identity Thief to Confess or Not?

by Rick Kam

In a July 26, 2007 article titled Dumb, dumber and Davis, InfoWorld's Robert X. Cringely points out the drawback of forcing an ID thief to confess to a crime using coercion. The story notes that Todd Davis, CEO of LifeLock, would put his social security number on company web sites and in advertising (see related post on why this is not a good idea). Turns out he fell victim to ID theft.

"After authorities identified the man who misappropriated Davis's identity, the idiot sent employees to the guy's house with a typed confession and a video camera. Yes, they got the confession they sought. And then the local DA dropped the case, because that confession would never stand up in court."