Skip to main content

beware of new tricks on old debtors

Apparently datamining techniques used on large piles of cheaply purchased old debts is turning into a major business opportunity for unsavory characters. It’s one thing to go after people who still owe money, but these companies are commonly going after people whose debts have passed the statute of limitations, and are even able to illegally influence our mysterious yet all important credit rating while they’re at it.

Crap, this doesn’t even have to be an official business; just take this home-brew if you need a new kind of Start Up business. There are already phreaks out there cold-calling to get AmEx numbers. Why not skip ahead a step, purchase a list of old debtors, and actually have a foot to stand on?

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

dan simmons’ fiction

“I came back for my own purposes,” said the Time Traveler, looking around my booklined study. “I chose you to talk to because it was . . . convenient. And I don’t want you to do a goddamned thing. There’s nothing you can do. But relax . . . we’re not going to be talking about personal things. Such as, say, the year, day, and hour of your death. I don’t even know that sort of trivial information, although I could look it up quickly enough. You can release that white-knuckled grip you have on the edge of your desk.” I tried to relax. “What do you want to talk about?” I said. “The Century War,” said the Time Traveler. I blinked and tried to remember some history. “You mean the Hundred Year War? Fifteenth Century? Fourteenth? Sometime around there. Between . . . France and England? Henry V? Kenneth Branagh? Or was it . . .” “I mean the Century War with Islam,” interrupted the Time Traveler. “Your future. Everyone’s.” He was no longer smiling. Without asking, or offering to pour me any, he ...

se7en of nin9

You could tell William Shatner that you hadn’t lived until you’d seen his one-man production of Se7en . He”d probably tell you to “get a life.” ( Chad Underkoffler )

review (kinda): collateral

After missing it in the Japanese theaters and on airplanes in-flight service and in hotel rooms’ pay-per-view, I finally saw Collateral last night via rental DVD. Due to a sense of high school nostalgia caused by Manhunter and Miami Vice (forgiving a misstep with The Keep ), I am willing to watch just about anything Michael Mann makes. Moreso that Heat , Collateral felt like a return to the stylings of Miami Vice’s action and drama, with natural, well-paced comedy to even out the emotional pacing. In a word, Collateral was good. With all the freak-out based press Tom Cruise has been given, and hearing what appears to be zealotry in his responses to a German interviewer who questioned the data as Cruise presented it, it is even easier to watch him in the role of a villain. It is probably preferable; he did a good job with the arrogant, untouchable Lestat in Interview with the Vampire , though that character was a bit more ham-fisted than the role of assassin, Vincent, pla...