Cartoon Not So Funny

A comic strip called “Retail” recently ran a joke about Identity Theft. In the strip a customer tries to pay for a purchase with a credit card. The customer had not signed the card, and explained to the clerk he was taking steps to reduce identity theft.



The customer explained that by presenting an unsigned card the clerk would be prompted to ask for a photo ID to make sure he was indeed the cardholder. The points out that although the customer’s scheme may be good in theory, any thief with a pen could simply need to sign the back of the card in order to use it.



This comic caused me to chuckle at first, but then I realized the point is not publicized enough. If you are carrying credit cards that do not contain your signature, sign them immediately. Handwriting does vary among individuals and thieves would need painstaking hours to try and match your signature. You may wish to write “See Photo ID” on the card as well, but remember identity thieves are very good at making false credentials.



Sometimes the joke carries a point; don’t just laugh them off.