The man's side of it!

So... Why is it that a person can just use a checking account number over the internet to buy services or things without some kind of authorization code like with a credit card. Who's to say that everyone who handles our checks are honest? What can we do to protect ourselves from this kind of theft?
Read in the extended entry how you can protect yourself against Identity theft. The information was provided by my bank.
Man Uses Jail Account to Meet Women Online
EDWARDSVILLE, Ill. - A 20-year-old man has pleaded guilty to using the Madison County Jail's checking account number to help him meet women online.
Thu Oct 21, 7:08 PM ET
David Wroten's sentence after he pleaded guilty Wednesday calls for him to be placed on probation for two years and repay the $39.95 of the jail's money he spent to join an online dating service.
Wroten was charged Sept. 27. A jail inmate on another charge, Wroten was issued a check upon his release for cash he had on him and turned over to the jail when he was booked into custody, Madison County Sheriff Robert Hertz said.
Wroten then took the account number from the check and gave it to the Internet dating service when he joined. The money was electronically transferred from the jail's account to the dating service.
The Bank of Edwardsville thought such a transaction was unusual and contacted the sheriff's department, which began investigating.
Subsequently, a sheriff's deputy went to the dating service's Web site and spotted Wroten's photograph, which was posted so prospective dates could get a look at him.

On average, identity theft is discovered 14 months after the thief has wreaked havoc on the victim's credit standing. Identity thieves use a variety of ways to gain access to this personal information including:

Stealing mail

Looking through your garbage

Stealing your wallet or purse

Posing as your employer, bank or utility company needing to "update their records"

Collecting information from Internet sites that are not secure

Completing a "change of address" form at the post office

Stealing the information that you may have provided (i.e. taking information from checks you have written or credit cards you have used for purchases)

Ways to protect yourself from identity theft:

Carry only the cards that you need to have with you; file others in a safe place at home

Sign your credit cards and bank cards immediately

Do not carry your social security card with you, keep it in a secure place

Do not attach a password or social security number to any cards you carry with you (including your driver's license)

Do not attach or write a password or social security number on anything you are going to discard

Shred any documents that contain credit card numbers, account numbers or other important information before you discard them

Alert companies with whom you have accounts if you do not receive statements

Check receipts to insure you have received your own

Do not give personal information or account numbers to anyone until you have confirmed the identity of the person requesting the information and verified that you need to provide them with the information

Frequently check your credit reports and social security statements

Get More Information
Visit the U.S. Government's Identity Theft website

I would have to disagree with signing your bank cards and credit cards right away. Being that I work in retail if the card is signed 8 out of 10 times we would not ask to see any Id. But, if you sign the back of the card See I.D than we will ask for I.D 100% of the time

Ah.... The way it's supposed to work is, you are supposed to check the signatures when they sign the receipt, before you give back the card. Then if they are too different you ask for more ID. I worked at retail gas stations when I was but a youngster.

Well maybe it's supposed to work like that but, we all know it doesn't thats why I like the cards with your picture on them no way fooling with those. Our Bank cards are like there down here in Tenn!!