Sunday, March 05, 2006

Debt Free Duo Flags Homeland Secuirty

A couple tries to pay off around $7k of credit card debt at one time and sets-off terrorists alarms.

J. Francis Lehman: That 'harmless' and 'neccessary' Patriot Act:
"They both learned the same astounding piece of information about the little things that can set the threat sensors to beeping and blinking.

They were told, as they moved up the managerial ladder at the call center, that the amount they had sent in was much larger than their normal monthly payment. And if the increase hits a certain percentage higher than that normal payment, Homeland Security has to be notified. And the money doesn't move until the threat alert is lifted.

Walter called television stations, the American Civil Liberties Union and me. And he went on the Internet to see what he could learn. He learned about changes in something called the Bank Privacy Act.

'The more I'm on, the scarier it gets,' he said. 'It's scary how easily someone in Homeland Security can get permission to spy.'

Eventually, his and his wife's money was freed up. The Soehnges were apparently found not to be promoting global terrorism under the guise of paying a credit-card bill. They never did learn how a large credit card payment can pose a security threat."

Well, ok.

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