Wednesday 21 November 2007

25M AT RISK OF ID FRAUD

Oh Gordy, Gordy, Gordy, what are you going to do now one of your junior officials has downloaded bank and personal details of 25M of your disloyal subject onto two CDs that have gone missing? Are you going to fall on your sword or at the very least admit that you rule over a shambolic bunch of loosers?

Are you going to stop idiots like your Chancellor Alistair Darling making a prat of himself on national TV by claiming that the processes and procedures are correct and this should not have happened.

So what process authorises an official from the National Audit Office to request this information over the telephone from a “junior official” at the Inland Revenue who then compliantly downloads it on to two CD’s and couriers it off?

Aren’t there safeguards in place to stop this happening? I only have to try using my Visa card abroad to have a security check slapped on it. No security checks in place here though eh?

And why courier it off? Oh I can understand using a courier instead of your very own Royal Mail which is spasmodically on strike and never reliable anyway but have your minions never heard of electonic transfers? Is there something here that I’m not quite understanding?

And we are being told not to worry. There is no proof this information has got into the wrong hands (no proof that it hasn’t either) but be vigilant and report any unusual transactions to the bank. Huh! Now there is another bunch of loosers.

How did we ever get into this sorry state? Your government is totally incompetent, your politicians and civil servants are liars, the banks have led us to the brink of Armageddon with their greed, sick people are being denied medical help and drugs, and patients that are “lucky” enough to get treatment are contracting “hospital acquired” super bugs which are killing them. .

In the meantime we are being lectured about global warning, bullied into recycling and told to measure our carbon footprint. And what is your government doing with the environmental taxes being levied on us? Are they ring-fenced to develop renewable energy. Are they hell!

And while I’m on the subject of incompetence Gordy, what about the NHS? The forth largest employer in the world and they still complain of staff shortages. What’s that all about?
Oh Lordy, Lordy, Lordy, Gordy, Gordy, Gordy.

11 comments:

DogLover said...

R&D, aren't you aware of the copyright laws? You may get the Daily Mail suing you for lifting that diatribe from their pages ...

But, anyway, imagine this conversation:

"Hello is that F... ?"
"Yes, hello M ... what's on your mind?"
"I am wondering when I'm going to get the two discs with the 25 million personal records on them."
"Oh, those - I sent them by courier last Friday ... "
"Well, they haven't reached me"
"Are you sure?"
"Yes, Reception were briefed to tell me when they arrived and they haven't."

Very gradually it dawns on F just what a mess he's in ... !

[Personally, I think Alistair Darling has done rather well. It's difficult to see what else he could have said and done]

doglover

DogLover said...

And should you call our Great Leader "Gordy" ?

www.retiredandcrazy.com said...

Dear DogLover, I think your imagined reconstruction of the conversation is very restrained. I think it quite likely that there may have been a few swear words in that scenario.

And, yes, I do think that Alistair Darling is in a difficult position but where does the buck stop? Surely not with the "junior official" or the person from the NAO that found it piss easy to foul up!

Alistair Darling could have said "I'm not taking the can for this, I've only just taken this job over from that tosser Brown. Let him take the flack".

Anonymous said...

Yes he is a knob isn't he.

It's just so typical of the state of this country. I really don't think any party would do it better but I'm beginning to wonder whether another party should be given the chance anyway. After all, what do us general public have to lose anymore? I can't wait to watch Question Time tonight.

Crystal xx

www.retiredandcrazy.com said...

Hi CJ and as you say in your blog, this is the tip of the iceberg! We live part time in Switzerland and they don't have all these problems. Their politicians consider that they are genuine servants of the people and govern in a very straightforward way. They listen to the electorate and have frequent referendums so that the voice of the people is not only heard but acted on. Unlike here people are in a position to make a difference

laurie said...

personal data like this is constantly going missing here in the US, though so far i think it has been teh fault of various banks and businesses, and not the elected government.

amazing, isn't it?

Dumdad said...

I love the way they were all for naming and shaming the poor, underpaid junior official. Apparently, the department has been run down over the yaers so it can barely function, let alone function properly. The government loves to save money but at what cost? Too high in this case and many others.

www.retiredandcrazy.com said...

Hi Laurie, yes our banks have been found guilty of negligently leaving clients personal details in their curbside trash while they continuously lecture us to maintain high levels of security awareness.

However, this current scandal involves our Inland Revenue losing 2 CD's containing the complete financial details, including bank account and National Insurance numbers, of every young family in the country!

Not only that, they lost them TWICE and then lied about it! And guess what? They will continue to lie and squirm about like the gutless wonders they are.

Do you get the feeling that I am angry?

www.retiredandcrazy.com said...

I read in Laurie's blog once how her editor had a nasty moment one night when he realised he had gone to press with a spelling mistake. I had the same nasty moment last night. Curbside should of course be kerbside. Also the IR CD contained the records of all young families claiming child benefits. Sorry, as DogLove will attest, my spelling is not good and from time to time I do tend to exaggerate!

Anonymous said...

Run down yeh - they are still probably overstaffed in private sector terms. If they were leaner and keener, this wouldnt have happened, the managers would have known what was happening.
I dont hold Gordy responsible - its the grey manderins, now he needs to sort them out
Switzerland - well they are so conformist, the whole country is a yawn.
I just wonder where the hell they are -the CDs that is.

www.retiredandcrazy.com said...

Good morning Valleys Mam. I do agree about the grey mandarines, but if a company is failing (Norther Rock?)its ultimately the people in charge that are to be held accountable.

And Switzerland? We have an apartment in a French canton and I must speak as I find. The people where we live are delightful and amiable. I guess the mix is good, Swiss efficiency and Galic don't give a fuckness.

Driving up and down the mountain is regarded locally as an extreme sport! A big yawn? I think not!