Specially Designated Nationals List

My good friend Fernando recently attempted to open a Paypal account and received the following email:

Access to your PayPal account has been denied because your name is similar to or a match to an entry on the Office of Foreign Assets Control Specially Designated Nationals (SDN) list. We are required to further verify your identity. In order to regain access to your account, please provide the following documentation:

1. A copy of government-issued photograph identification (i.e. passport, driver's license).
2. A copy of a utility bill verifying your address
3. A copy of a document verifying your date and place of birth.

Reply to this e-mail with all questions at ofacappeal@paypal.com

Naturally, this incident piqued my curiosity. I began to do a little research on this SDN list. Turns out that the U.S. Department of Treasury has a division called the Office of Foreign Assets Control that publishes (and updates) a list of foreign nationals known for illegal commerce. Poor Fernando was blacklisted because he shared the first and last name of a Colombian drug supplier, even though F is from Ecuador, they do not share the same middle name, and F was definitely NOT born in 1962.

Currently, the list can be obtained here. *WARNING* It is over 200 pages long!!!

This jingoistic posting was brought to you by: Google, and spending too much time at the computer.