"Mistaken Identity" (http://www.ico.gov.uk/upload/images/flash_test/filler_ad_wrong_info.mpg) shows us a group of unlucky souls who have fallen foul of identity thieves, with disastrous consequences:
(An old lady is sitting in an armchair doing her knitting. Then we hear disco music and see flashing lights, and the camera pulls back. She is now on stage in a club, with pole dancers either side)
CAPTION ON SCREEN: Dorothy Miller, Pole Dancer
(Change scene. A little girl of five or six is sitting outside a court, playing with a stuffed toy. Lawyers and officials file out past her)
CAPTION ON SCREEN: Emily Robinson, £20, 000 in debt
(Change scene. Bus stop in a crowded street. A woman gives up her seat to an overweight man, who smiles at her and sits down, looking uncomfortable)
CAPTION ON SCREEN: Andy Rogers, 6 months pregnant
(Change scene. A group of old men are in a pub. A change of camera angle shows that they are playing dominoes and focuses in on the face of a much younger man in his early 20s, who is sitting at the table with them)
CAPTION ON SCREEN: Simon Williams, Pensioner
(Change scene. A woman is running through a group of trees, but as the camera pulls back we see she is in a graveyard)
CAPTION ON SCREEN: Karen Taylor, died 2 years ago
VO: Is information held about you wrong? Put it right with this tool kit.
(Fade to black, with a superimposed picture of the ICO's "Personal Information Toolkit", and ICO logo, web address and phone number)
VO: Visit ico.gov.uk.
I don't get the last one. Wouldn't you NOTICE if the government thought you were dead? I'd be worried if I'd received no bills, bank statements or official letters for the last two weeks, let alone two years. On the other hand, mix ups like this really do happen, as evidenced by the recent story in UK news about a woman who was served with an ASBO for her unborn baby.
Meanwhile, "Man in the Mirror" (http://www.ico.gov.uk/upload/images/flash_test/mirror_man001.jpg) gives a new twist to the idea of having an evil twin:
(A respectable - looking, balding middle aged man is in a rather dull clothes shop. He takes a jacket from the rail, puts it on, and goes to the mirror. Instead of his own reflection, he sees a slightly younger chap; a swarthy, bearded type who you just know longs to play TV baddies as he waits at the actor's dole queue. He's trying on a much more expensive jacket, and appears to be in a flashier shop. The first man does a double take and tries out various poses in the mirror, running his fingers down the glass, and his new "reflection" does the same. He gasps and turns away, then looks in the mirror again. Sure enough, the flash geezer is still there! The first man tries running past the mirror and doing a couple of star jumps, and his "reflection" does the same, then says:)
2ND MAN: That jacket's really not my style.
1ST MAN: Who are you?
2ND MAN: Duh! I'm you, obviously! Nick Harris? 37 Ashdown Road? PIN Number 4732?
1ST MAN: I don't understand.
2ND MAN: What's to understand? Last Tuesday, you threw out your rubbish. I come along, went through it and found a statement from your bank. Our bank, really. Sort of a joint account. You earn it, I spend it! And then I got these. (He reaches into the jacket and pulls out a wallet, which contains a whole bunch of credit cards, about as many ways of paying for the good life as a pack of playing cards) Credit cards. This one (indicates) gives you double air miles. Do you really like that jacket?
(The first man pulls a face)
It will have to be cash, I'm afraid. I've gone over the limit on these. (He puts his wallet away) Still, pay day soon, eh?
(He winks. Close up on the horrified face of the first man, the real Nick Harris. Fade to black, again with superimposed picture of the ICO's "Personal Information Toolkit", and ICO logo, web address and phone number)
VO: Protect your personal information. Visit ico.gov.uk for this tool kit.
So, beware. Don't throw out your bank statements, or cross shred them first or something. Actually, this reminds me of an amusing case featured on Crimewatch UK (http://www.bbc.co.uk/crimewatch) a while ago. Thieves had put a camera inside a cash machine to record people's PINs, and the police found it and had published some pictures from the camera that showed a group of people, most likely the thieves, posing with some waxworks at Madame Tussaud's. At the end of the appeal, the presenter said "You'll be glad to know that police have eliminated Elton John, Tom Cruise and the Queen from this inquiry." Ha ha!
The ICO's website says "Our public information films been produced by COI and will be distributed to over 100 terrestrial and digital TV channels. As public information films are not commercials, they are shown in donated airtime." In other words, the time when they can't sell any advertising space. Such is life.
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