State Representative Mary Gallegos--District 29 _____
November 20, 2003
News Release:
Rep Gallegos Hit by Identity Theft, Vows Changes in Law
(Cornelius) ââ¬ÅI knew identity theft was a big problem in Oregon, but I never realized the impact it has on victims until I became one,ââ¬Â said State Representative Mary Gallegos (R-Cornelius). Gallegos announced today that her identity was stolen by someone who committed Internet fraud and domain hijacking " The long legislative session took me away from my work for an extended period of time. One morning I found my web site contained pornographic material, checking further I learned it was no longer registered to me," said Representative Gallegos. "The bigger shock came when trying to correct the problem and report the theft, who do you call?ââ¬Â
For the past two months Gallegos has been trying to resolve the theft of an Internet domain name she held for 8 years; Secretary.com. Posing as the representative, the perpetrators faxed a copy of a driverââ¬â¢s license and forged her signature to change some contact information which allowed them to transfer the ownership. There may have been several perpetrators and their transactions crossed over at least four states and Canada. Eventually the domain was sold to someone for $8000 and they turned it into a pornographic website. Gallegos noted, ââ¬Åitââ¬â¢s hard to tell whoââ¬â¢s-who on the Internet because anyone can hide behind an alias. A domain isnââ¬â¢t considered an asset like a car so itââ¬â¢s more difficult to get attention if itââ¬â¢s stolen.ââ¬Â Gallegos finally convinced Network Solutions, the registrar, to investigate and they assisted in the successful recovery of the domain name. The investigation led to the discovery of over 20 similar domain thefts by the same individuals using similar methods.
ââ¬ÅWhere do you turn when you have lost your small piece of real estate on the Internet?ââ¬Â said Gallegos. ââ¬ÅI filed a report with federal authorities, but thereââ¬â¢s lots of information, and the case is still pending. The Internet is a very big place. There are no internet police and domains are not considered tangible assets, you never real own them, you just hold the registration. If this had been my car, there would have been immediate action. With so many states and foreign countries involved in activities on the internet itââ¬â¢s far more complicated.ââ¬Â
There is an organization authorized to regulate domain name disputes called ICANN, however, it costs $2500 to begin the process. ââ¬ÅTheft isnââ¬â¢t a dispute, itââ¬â¢s a crime. And we need to toughen our laws in Oregon to protect consumers from the ease of identity theft on the internet. I am working on several pieces of legislation which will tackle these difficult issues.ââ¬Â
Cornelius Police Chief Paul Rubenstein, who assisted Rep. Gallegos with reporting the incident to
www.ifccfbi.gov explained, ââ¬ÅThis is a very frustrating crime for law enforcement officials to pursue because itââ¬â¢s so difficult to track the culprits. I am sorry about what happened to Representative Gallegos, but encouraged that she is resolved to change state law and provide more tools for law enforcement agencies in this area.ââ¬Â The FCC claims that in 2002 there were an estimated 700,000 cases of ID theft, and possibly as many as 10,000,000 victims of fraud, many of those involving the Internet in one way or the other.
It is unclear how many of her constituents were exposed to the pornographic content which temporarily replaced her website. ââ¬ÅI want anyone who was offended by the phony website to know how sorry I am and that I share their distain for pornography. It shows how easy pornography can unexpectedly enter our lives.ââ¬Â
For more information contact Rep Gallegos at 503-329-4581 or
[email protected]
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