In a story by USA TODAY, Donna Leinwand reported the arrest of illegal immigrants in numbers so large it shut down nearly all Swift & Co. meat packing plants in six states.

 But the Swift employees weren't arrested solely as illegal workers. Calling it "a massive identity fraud scheme", Immigration and Customs Enforcement reports the illegal workers had "stolen the identity of hundreds of people".

One of the arrested used the identity and social security number of a North Carolina man who died in 2005. The deceased man's sister recently filed a complaint with the FTC after Social Security records showed her brother was currently employed with Swift. Court records did not specify how the man's ID was stolen.

Here's a clue: He clicked.

Everything from death certificates to mortgages, marriage records, deeds, wills, and more are available online in North Carolina and most other states, and all for the taking. Full document images that can be altered with cut and paste options on any computer.

Cabarrus County, NC offers full records without so much as a registration. So does Travis County, Texas, and many states beyond and between.

That's the complaint and concern I shared with Homeland Security after reading the USA TODAY story. Over 1,000 officers, countless hours, and hundreds of thousands of dollars went into planning the massive arrest at Swift & Co. plants. Why aren't our land registries being held responsible as parties to the offense?

"That's a good question," stated an employee in Michael Chertoff's Office.

County recorders and clerks across America would be wise to reconsider posting personal information online before they cause any further damage and are finally held accountable; a costly lawsuit no county can afford.

Take it off. Take it ALL off!

Editors Note: Janice Forster is a senior analyst with FindMyId.com . She has helped hundreds of identity theft victims and potential victims discover and remove their sensitive information from government websites. Her work was recently featured in U.S.A Today's Good cybercitizens keep watch over ID-theft victimsm
 

If you believe your county has violated your rights by posting your sensitive information online, these lawyers have offered to evaluate your case. You can  present your case, and respond only to lawyers who want to help you. It's Free & Confidential.