“Hackers who use the internet to alter people’s identities on the [New Zealand] electoral roll could face prosecution.

“The warning from Electoral Enrolment Centre manager Murray Wicks follows the plight of a New Plymouth woman whose name was changed to Mr Fat Ass,” The New Zealand Herald reports.

Kylene Soar was stunned when she received the letter from the electoral centre asking her to confirm that she had changed her title from Miss to Mr, and her middle name from Fay to Fat Ass.

The Herald logged on to the website and found it would be easy to change a person’s details.

All that was needed was the person’s full name, date of birth and the street number of their home.

Which is why the next “Russell Crowe” movie will star “Mr Scruffy Meghumper,” the Herald notes.

But they digress…

The Herald also learned of a basset hound with prolific toilet habits that had been listed in the electoral roll as a cable-layer.

But Mr Wicks said Miss Soar’s details had not been changed on the electoral roll.

The whole point of the letter was to ask for a signature to confirm whether her details should be changed.

[…] Miss Soar, 23, said she was angry that an enemy could attack her in such a way, using a website set up 18 months ago to help voters change their details before the election.

She was more angry that electoral staff did not stop the letter being posted.

‘You should not be able to do that,’ the sickness beneficiary said yesterday.

‘My weight is a sensitive issue.

‘The electoral books have just been printed, and that name could have been in there.’

Miss Soar said she had complained to police.

And the police, in turn, admitted to giggling for hours. The insenstive bastards.