ID Theft -- Courtesy of the FAA

"Ron Natalie" wrote in message
...
C J Campbell wrote:

If the FBO pursued its claim against you, you would be able to sue them
for defamation,

Defamation? Sending you a bill is not defamation, even if they
intentionally sent it to you knowing you weren't responsible for it.

Did you read the part about "If the FBO pursued its claim against you..."?

Matt Barrow wrote:
"Ron Natalie" wrote in message
...
C J Campbell wrote:

If the FBO pursued its claim against you, you would be able to sue them
for defamation,
Defamation? Sending you a bill is not defamation, even if they
intentionally sent it to you knowing you weren't responsible for it.

Did you read the part about "If the FBO pursued its claim against you..."?




Yes I did, and the answer would be that.
It's not defamation. Do you have a clue what defamation is?
Sending out bills and filing lawsuits or whatever to try to
collect is not.

"Ron Natalie" wrote in message
m...
Matt Barrow wrote:
"Ron Natalie" wrote in message
...
C J Campbell wrote:

If the FBO pursued its claim against you, you would be able to sue them
for defamation,
Defamation? Sending you a bill is not defamation, even if they
intentionally sent it to you knowing you weren't responsible for it.

Did you read the part about "If the FBO pursued its claim against
you..."?




Yes I did, and the answer would be that.
It's not defamation. Do you have a clue what defamation is?

Yeah...it's what happens when someone knowingly and willfully files a false
calim against you, encumbering your credit rating.

Sending out bills and filing lawsuits or whatever to try to
collect is not.

See above.

The manager of the FBO called me today. He's now as perplexed as I am
and this matter is not resolved yet, but here's what we know:

The 'concierge' (I'm thinking 'secretary/receptionist') who tried to
help me on Saturday afternoon misinformed me: this was a credit
transaction, but not with a credit card. That was a great relief to
me; I just wish I hadn't had to wait nearly three days for it.

Around 0300 on 20 May, a Sunday, a Pilatus landed at Austin-Bergstrom
International Airport and parked at Atlantic Aviation for a gas-n-go;
the solo pilot was in a hurry. The two employees who serviced the
aircraft both say they got the tail-number right. Payment was not
made at the time and no information was recorded other than number of
gallons, N-number and the pilot's scrawl on a charge-slip. I'm not
familiar with business practices in the kerosene-burning part of GA so
I don't know why they let the man escape that way, but I didn't press
the manager on that point (although I will ask about that, politely,
if he calls again). This FBO is part of a nationwide chain with more
than forty locations; apparently they let customers run a tab
somehow. And for me it's beside the point; all I cared about was
whether the man used a credit card or ID with my name on it and I was
assured that he didn't. The part about my reserved N-number bothers
me but it may simply be incorrect; the manager says they haven't
finished searching the FAA database for all the permutations of digits
and letters. They've also asked ATC to check their arrival and
departure records and that should clear up the matter -- unless their
records also show my N-number ...

Anyway, the FBO's records are keyed to N-number; when their clerk
didn't get a match to an existing local file (a common thing
considering the number of transient customers patronizing the chain) a
new file was created and there the charge-slip sat for thirty days.
Then it was sent to an off-site billing facility where someone queried
the FAA database, got my name and address, and off went the 'past due'
invoice.

The manager and I agree that even though the two employees are sure
about the number that doesn't guarantee that they weren't both wrong;
it may be a case of only one noting the number (incorrectly) and the
other supporting him blindly. They're continuing to search for a
Pilatus with a similar number. If the ATC records show that my future
number was actually being used then the Feds have a problem. But at
least it appears that I probably don't have an identity-theft problem
-- this time. I've written to the FAA telling them to remove my
address from all public databases, but I should never have had to do
that. Government at all levels ought to be required to justify, and
ask each individual's permission for, public posting of personal data
-- withholding such data ought to be the default action. As things
are now, even Social Security numbers are viewable in one or more
public records on most Americans.

I'll pass on any further information I receive.

quietguy wrote:

Anyway, the FBO's records are keyed to N-number; when their clerk
didn't get a match to an existing local file (a common thing
considering the number of transient customers patronizing the chain) a
new file was created and there the charge-slip sat for thirty days.
Then it was sent to an off-site billing facility where someone queried
the FAA database, got my name and address, and off went the 'past due'
invoice.

Hey, I guessed right in my earlier post. They mixed up the N-number.

They're continuing to search for a Pilatus with a similar number.

It shouldn't be that hard, since you can query the FAA database by
aircraft model/manufacturer, and state of registration. They should also
be able to get information from the FAA or Flight Tracker on movements at
the airport on a particular day.

I've written to the FAA telling them to remove my
address from all public databases, but I should never have had to do
that. Government at all levels ought to be required to justify, and
ask each individual's permission for, public posting of personal data
-- withholding such data ought to be the default action.

Good luck with that idea. They have all sorts of databases available on-
line. Hard to escape them.

"James Robinson" wrote in message
. ..
quietguy wrote:

Anyway, the FBO's records are keyed to N-number; when their clerk
didn't get a match to an existing local file (a common thing
considering the number of transient customers patronizing the chain) a
new file was created and there the charge-slip sat for thirty days.
Then it was sent to an off-site billing facility where someone queried
the FAA database, got my name and address, and off went the 'past due'
invoice.

Hey, I guessed right in my earlier post. They mixed up the N-number.

They're continuing to search for a Pilatus with a similar number.

It shouldn't be that hard, since you can query the FAA database by
aircraft model/manufacturer, and state of registration. They should also
be able to get information from the FAA or Flight Tracker on movements at
the airport on a particular day.

I've written to the FAA telling them to remove my
address from all public databases, but I should never have had to do
that. Government at all levels ought to be required to justify, and
ask each individual's permission for, public posting of personal data
-- withholding such data ought to be the default action.

Good luck with that idea. They have all sorts of databases available on-
line. Hard to escape them.

I've got a program that combines the aircraft Databases. I show 400
Pilatus's nationwide,
40 in Texas, 1 in Austin. I forwarded these lists to the OP. What number are
we looking for?

Al G

Matt Barrow wrote:

Yeah...it's what happens when someone knowingly and willfully files a false
calim against you, encumbering your credit rating.

Who said anything about encumbering the credit rating? We're talking
about billing. Even reporting the debt to a credit agency isn't
actionable defamation unless you go through the due process provided
you and you can actually prove that you were somehow damaged in the
process.

Your better bet would be to pursue them for violations of the FDCPA.

Even in the avgas burners, much of it is on the honor system.
I've had gas pumped where they just take my N-number. They
assume you're going to come in and settle up before you leave.

m.

I've got a program that combines the aircraft Databases. I show 400
Pilatus's nationwide,
40 in Texas, 1 in Austin. I forwarded these lists to the OP. What number are
we looking for?

I was going to ask that. Given the number of network scavengers around
this group, I suspect we could track the culprit down in short order
given your N number.

On Jul 4, 10:27 am, Ron Natalie wrote:
Given the number of network scavengers around
this group, I suspect we could track the culprit down in short order
given your N number.

Yes, but posting my N-number more widely is one thing I'm trying to
avoid. I gave it privately to Al G after he privately sent me a
listing of all Pilatuses in the country. I've examined that list and
there's no good candidate for an honestly misremembered and transposed
number; the closest has one digit that's an 8 versus my 9 -- I can't
see anyone making that mistake, even with the briefest of glances.
I'll pass that information to the FBO. This keeps alive the very
troubling possibility that there's an airplane flying around with my
reserved N-number on it. If so, I hope the thief is not smart enough
to steal his fuel with a different number each time; his keeping mine
on display would be our best hope of catching him. The ATC arrival/
departure records for 20 May will tell the tale.