My husband has been deemed a terrorist from PayPal.

[Writer]

Has anyone received this message? What could it mean? This is what Mr. Writer sent me...

PayPal as a regulated financial services company is required under law
to assess its customers against certain lists of individuals and
entities which have had sanctions imposed against them. PayPal as a
financial institution is required to comply with these regulations in
multiple jurisdictions where we do business.

Where a potential name match is identified, PayPal's policy is to lock
the account and request further identifying documentation. The decision
to lock your account has been taken solely by PayPal in line with its
compliance policy in regards to the legislation covering financial
sanctions.

We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause. To regain access to
your account, provide the following documentation within the next seven
days:

My husband contacted PayPal directly from the number off their website. He spoke to them and they said that he simply needed to provide proof of ID. This is not a sham or phishing. It's a violation of his rights.

Does anyone know the number to the ACLU? I'm not kidding. I'm not the activist type but I am very angry.

[Poll_Blind]

1. Someone needs to get ahold of this "list". n/t

PB

[MrCoffee]

2. easy, Writer...

You can certainly be pissed, but PayPal is just doing what they have to.

[Writer]

4. No, they are not. It is a violation.

My husband should not have to prove that he is not a person, it is incumbent on PayPal to prove that he is a terrorist.

[CountAllVotes]

3. ACLU

Join and become a card carrying member while you are at it too!

www.aclu.org

Best of luck!

:dem:

[Minnesota_Lib]

5. Here is a link to an article by someone this happened to.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=364&topic_id=2717636

[Writer]

7. I saw this and sent it the link to Mr. Writer.

How common is this? I assume common "enough?"

[grasswire]

6. does this mean that banks are checking names to match...

...up with the official watch list?

We surely do need more illumination of these privacy issues.

[POAS]

8. This is probably a phishing email

By no means respond to the enclosed web address which certainly was included for you to respond to.

Paypal is a common target for "phishers". I do not even have a paypal account and yet I get such emails often.

[Eric J in MN]

11. Right. Is the account really locked?

If not, this is just a scam by identity thieves.

[POAS]

14. The OP says

that he contacted the phone number at the website BUT if he clicked on the link in the email he didn't get taken to the real paypal website.

[Writer]

17. No. He did not click on the link. He went directly to the PayPal site.

[Eric J in MN]

12. Phishing = scam, hoax, trick by people trying to get IDs...

...and money.

[Writer]

13. Would someone please reread the fucking OP?

[POAS]

16. NO need to be rude Writer>

Please read my second post above.

[Writer]

18. Pardon my complete frustration at experiencing this.

I hope you don't.

[951-Riverside]

9. The letter says NOTHING about terrorism

So who did he send money to and why do you think he's branded as a terrorist?

[Writer]

15. When he called PayPal told him his name was very similar to one...

on a terrorism financial watchlist in England.

[951-Riverside]

24. Thats absolutely disgusting then

Call back and try to get an ID # or name of the person he spoke but DO NOT let them know the real reason why you are trying to obtain the information because then they may refuse to give you anything.

I hope you take this all the way to the TOP.

Best of luck.

[mdmc]

10. who does he show the ID to?

:kick:

[Doctor_J]

19. Congrats

:toast:

He must have pissed off Cheney.

[EFerrari]

20. That's crazy. There are people who can make you I.D. for any name

you want.

BUT I DON'T KNOW THEM, OKAY, MIKE?

[kestrel91316]

21. Not so fast...

"...It's a violation of his rights..."

I don't think we have a constitutional RIGHT to have a Paypal account. They are probably trying to avoid ID theft problems. I seriously doubt they think your DH is a terrorist.

[Writer]

22. It is not a commercial issue, it's a privacy issue...

when he called, they told him that his name is similar to one listed on the OFAC (Office of Foreign Assets Control) list in England. In other words, PayPal is working as an agent for the DHS in a manner that indeed does infringe his civil rights. In order to unlock his account he has to furnish still more information about himself.

In other words he has to prove his innocence in light of being accused of guilt. There cannot be anything more unconstitutional than that.

[karlrschneider]

23. What documentation were they requesting?

I get a lot of spoof/phishing emails from bogus people wanting personal info, just forward them to
[e-mail]

Yes I understand it's different but it doesn't sound as serious as you seem to think...

[Writer]

25. It isn't phishing, and in my opinion, any information they request on behest of ...

federal law is bad news.

[karlrschneider]

26. Yes, I understand it wasn't phishing but financial institutions are bound

by the laws congress has passed. I share your outrage but I think you have misdirected it in this case. Just sayin'...

[Writer]

28. No I don't think it's misdirected at all!

If PayPal is doing this at the behest of unconstitutional federal law, and I assume many have been affected, then this is a strong violation of civil rights.

[karlrschneider]

30. If the federal law is unconstitutional, (as it might well be) you cannot

blame those who are complying with it. You are totally missing the point here.

[Writer]

31. Okay, yeah, fuck... let's argue over this... ya know, because we just might be lesser humans if we..

don't. Jesus. I'm not missing the point. I understand well that PayPal is complying with Federal Law. My complaint is with the FUCKING LAW! Hence my push to go to the ACLU. A'right?

Happy now? Score one for innocuous arguments.

[WePurrsevere]

27. I believe it's part of the (un)Patriot Act. Here's something off PayPal's site.

Check out the last paragraph (the link to the "Denied Persons List" didn't work for me):
http://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=p/gen/ua/use/index_frame-outside&ed=embargoed

Prohibited Persons
Federal agencies have also banned or regulated trade between U.S. persons with certain organizations, businesses, and persons. For additional information about these regulations and lists of these prohibited persons visit the Office of Foreign Assets Control - and the Denied Persons List

Assuming guilt, locking an account and then asking for more ID is not at all cool. I'm sorry your husband has to go through this just because a name that looks like his name shows up on some gov "might be a bad person" list.

[pitohui]

29. i don't get the problem

paypal is a money market, you have to provide certain proof of identity to do banking legally anywhere in the usa

i would be astonished if the aclu was interested

i had to jump through the hoops w. my paypal account as well, including switch to a linked bank account at a bank where i bank in person, instead of an internet bank

i'm not seeing how it's a violation of my rights, it is indeed a legal requirement that ALL banks and money markets are supposed to be in compliance with, a bank that knows you in person and has dealt with your husband personally perhaps does not have to show so many pieces of paper as a financial institution that, let's face it, he has never once met any officer of paypal in person, so more is often required to prove you're you

i don't see anyway around it

he's in good company, famous writer george r. r. martin has been asked to do the same