Patriot Act Letter from LL?

[Chic Aeon]

3 minutes ago, Dura Juran said:

Turns out this is real. But always check with LL. Scammers can easily duplicate this message.

I make a lot less than $600.

 My money was taken hostage and I had to pay the ransom.

This is not a great day.

I am having a difficult time figuring out what that ransom might be. Linden Lab has to follow US law which dictates that they need to report money going out from them (even if we aren't "employees" -- that was written into the TOS some time ago).  You will likely only have to wait until you complete the needed documentation and then get your money. The rest of us did so far as I know.

 

The $600 is PER YEAR not month unless things have changed. Back then I wasn't making much and it was March or so before I had to fill in any forms.  

I know it isn't fun but you have to fill out w-2 forms for RL work (or I am guessing similar forms if you are outside the US). It is the same. HERE they have no idea "who" you are, so that gets a little more complicated proving that. 

 

 

 

[Rhys Goode]

It looks like a real LL notice to me, I've had friends receive the same. Contact LL to be sure, but in the cases I knew, it was a case of produce appropriate RL ID or have the account closed. Yes, because of the US Patriot Act. Yes, stupid and unfair. Not LL's fault on this one, though.

[Dura Juran]

If this has been around since 2014 or earlier, then why does this get sprung on merchants as a surprise?

It's not even referred to as Patriot Act. it's just called 'Applicable law', which could mean anything you want to imagine it is.

As soon as I clicked 'process credit', they put my money in limbo and told me I wont get it back and my account will be frozen

unless I hand over my ID. 

Now it turns out that Police issued ID is not government enough.

There is no closer to government than that, there is no 'ministry of identity' issuing cards to citizens.

[Dura Juran]

Drivers licence was not accepted, they asked for a larger image.

All things were legible on the image, so I asked what verification they used from it.

Apparently the answer is it's digitally validated.

Anyone got any idea what that cryptic reply might mean?

[Pamela Galli]

If you look at the first post in the thread, they specified drivers license in 2014. Seems very odd that they now want some other unspecified photo.

[Chic Aeon]

28 minutes ago, Pamela Galli said:

If you look at the first post in the thread, they specified drivers license in 2014. Seems very odd that they now want some other unspecified photo.

Thanks the PTB that we got this over with years ago.   Hopefully --- assuming that the latest remarks on this thread are accurate -- NEW folks will check this out early in the "game" (like at the $600 mark IF that is still the limit - have no idea) and not be caught. OR just play for fun and spend all their lindens here. 

If you end up with a lot of lindens it seems like the only thing you can do with them (if you can't send them to Paypal) is to pay for your yearly premium (in effect VERY little since you get most of it back ) or perhaps buy an island (have no idea if that is possible). 

 

MESSY.

 

I had a huge problem back then as my little town HAS NO MAIL DELIVERY. Hence we all have post office boxes (that we pay for annually) and that wasn't acceptable. Finally on message six or seven or whatever, I got someone who could actually THINK and see that my ID showed BOTH my street address AND my Post office box. So does my Paypal account, my credit card, my mail from the US government etc etc LOL,

 

And to @Dura Juran  I suspect you need to take a BIGGER photo of your drivers licence -- like MANY pixels so that they can run it through facial recognition software maybe?

It is getting difficult to live in our world these days - - on many levels.  Truly, that doesn't make me happy. The Lab however is not to blame on this one. 

I suggest CALLING BILLING as I believe that is what I had to do eventually. Try the BIGGER photo first though. 2400 pixels should do it I think :D. 

 

 

[mikka Luik]

17 minutes ago, Chic Aeon said:

@Dura Juranso that they can run it through facial recognition software maybe?

ITry the BIGGER photo first though. 2400 pixels should do it I think :D. 

 

 

I charge more than that for RL pix *runs to bunker*

[Chic Aeon]

1 hour ago, mikka Luik said:

I charge more than that for RL pix *runs to bunker*

Well most notebooks and PHONES now have cameras. Or hopefully a friend. 

[Dura Juran]

My old scanner wont do 2400 on something that small.

LL will just have to buy me a new one if they want that.

They know exactly to whom and where to send it.

 

Digital verification, may be watermarking.

But everything is now on hold. I had to contact LL security again over another issue arising from this.

[Dura Juran]

Another image sent, but no response.

However, logging in does request use of a cookie, and it comes with a privacy statement.

Just like the one I wasn't directed toward regarding my ID. Or the guarantee my information is not shared or posted with third parties.

Isn't this just the perfect customer relations nightmare  you always dreamed about experiencing?

[LittleMe Jewell]

On 5/5/2017 at 9:47 PM, Chic Aeon said:

Well most notebooks and PHONES now have cameras. Or hopefully a friend. 

The only way I can send a drivers license photo now is to take the picture with my phone.  The Colorado licenses are now made in a such a way that if you try to scan it or use a copy macheine, you just get lots of big black areas over the details.

[Pamela Galli]

Bizarre that they want a picture at all, what are they planning to match it to, your avatar? Do they want you to arrive in their headquarters so they can see your RL self? 

[Chic Aeon]

3 hours ago, Pamela Galli said:

Bizarre that they want a picture at all, what are they planning to match it to, your avatar? Do they want you to arrive in their headquarters so they can see your RL self? 

Well in theory they "could" run it through facial recognition software as most states now (it may be federal law, I know not) take photos PRECISELY for that. And you are not allowed glasses or hats or other things I can't remember maybe peircings. The last photo I had taken at the Drivers Licence Bureau took four tries before it was accepted because of the facial recognition. So presumably (and I SO don't believe this) it is so the government (not LL) could --  if they wanted  -- track down terrorists laundering money in SL.  

It is all about control and for better or worse The Lab is in the middle.  I sometimes feel much like the Borg without the advantage of instant group communication LOL.  Our only real choice is to opt out :D.   

 

 

 

[Dura Juran]

How many people wake up each morning thinking " I must check how the homeland security act of some country on the other side of the world is going to affect my second life."

 

Only hours to go before my account is frozen, they still haven't looked at my latest offering.

The only thing that seems credible about this is that they locked my money away somewhere.

I received what looks like a scam email. When I ask in a group, if anyone knows what this is about. I get a lot of warnings that it must be a scam.

It took a bit of searching to happen to come across this thread. Which is the first time homeland security act ever appears in the story.

Then IRS gets some strange connection with it all. 

So I'm passing over photo ID to somebody I presume is at Linden lab. They wont tell me why they want it, and nobody here seems to know either.

During the three years this seems to have been going on, nothing about it appears as a condition regarding limits on processing  credit in my account information.

It should be there in bold print so the act can get all the love it deserves, but there's nothing.

It's not my homeland and I'm not feeling any security from it.

 

Such an irony that only twenty four hours ago, a group of members in the association in charge of driver licence renewal where arrested for providing photo ID licences to order for a bit of extra cash.

For all I know, there's a similar group that have infiltrated Linden Lab and are now running an identity theft operation.

 

 

 

[Chic Aeon]

24 minutes ago, Dura Juran said:

How many people wake up each morning thinking " I must check how the homeland security act of some country on the other side of the world is going to affect my second life."

 

Only hours to go before my account is frozen, they still haven't looked at my latest offering.

The only thing that seems credible about this is that they locked my money away somewhere.

I received what looks like a scam email. When I ask in a group, if anyone knows what this is about. I get a lot of warnings that it must be a scam.

It took a bit of searching to happen to come across this thread. Which is the first time homeland security act ever appears in the story.

Then IRS gets some strange connection with it all. 

So I'm passing over photo ID to somebody I presume is at Linden lab. They wont tell me why they want it, and nobody here seems to know either.

During the three years this seems to have been going on, nothing about it appears as a condition regarding limits on processing  credit in my account information.

It should be there in bold print so the act can get all the love it deserves, but there's nothing.

It's not my homeland and I'm not feeling any security from it.

 

Such an irony that only twenty four hours ago, a group of members in the association in charge of driver licence renewal where arrested for providing photo ID licences to order for a bit of extra cash.

For all I know, there's a similar group that have infiltrated Linden Lab and are now running an identity theft operation.

 

 

 

You should simply be thankful that you don't apparently LIVE in the country with the Patriot Act. The most you can loose is some money. Most of us have lost many of our freedoms. 

 

[Dura Juran]

I just got a reply to my larger ID. Obviously the image is now big enough, but their system can't accept it.

I just haven't been able to reply to that yet.

 

 

The score so far:  1 receipt and 2 photo IDs. 

Final result: They can't identify me.

So much for all those fake posts about credit starting to process again after sending in their photo IDs.

The line is drawn here.  Enough is enough.

 

 

Edited May 10, 2017 by Dura Juran
Saving putting yet another post on.

[Dura Juran]

I have asked what is it they are looking for that will identify me.

After all the system, can't identify me from any photo ID.

That's the system, they describe in detail as the system.

Another day has passed and no reply to the question.

 

It might be of interest that at no time have I been directed toward any sort of W-tax forms, or any forms at all.

Homeland security is only ever mentioned in this forum thread. Not in any of my dealings with LL over this matter.

 

[HaileeTempesta]

I just got this same email on my main account this morning.  I had set up a process credit for 600 USD Friday.  It is the first time I have ever taken out that much money, but, I needed extra help to get my insulin this month and new glasses.  Now, it seems my money is on hold.  It wasn't put back on my Second Life account, it is just in limbo until they decide if they need more information to "prove" who I am.  I'm glad I left 4 months worth of sim tier on my Second Life account instead of trying to cash it out as well, so at least my business will be ok.

After seeing all the hoops people have to jump through I am guessing I won't be getting my insulin any time soon though.  Just funny that all the questions they asked me were things already on file on my account, well except they asked a question about a car I had like six or seven years ago (they knew the make and model), that threw me off since I've never, ever put that info on any Second Life site.