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Identity Theft
Identity theft is the number one consumer complaint and the fastest growing crime in America. The Federal Trade Commission reported 162,000 identity theft complaints in 2002 alone, with estimated losses of $2.1 billion. California ranks number three in the number of victims of identity theft per capita, with over 37,000 complaints reported by consumers, costing over 40 million dollars last year.
I am very concerned about this rapidly growing problem that millions of Americans are faced with. I was a co-sponsor and strong supporter of the Identity Theft Penalty Enhancement Act, which was signed into law. This law toughens the penalties on identity thieves by creating a new and separate crime of "aggravated identity theft" for any person who uses the identity of another person to commit certain felonies, bringing with it an additional mandatory sentence of two years for most felonies and five years for terror-related felonies. This law also gives our law enforcement officials the tools they need to prosecute identity thieves.
As a member of the House Financial Services Committee, I was involved in implementing the consumer protections for identity theft in the Fair and Accurate Credit Transactions Act of 2003 (FACT Act). Under this law, Californians are now able to get a copy of their annual credit report for free and with just one phone call. The FACT Act also requires merchants to omit all but the last five digits of a credit card number off of store receipts, and creates a national system of fraud detection so that victims will only have to make one phone call to report fraud, receive advice, set off a nationwide fraud alert and protect their credit standing.
A person's identity is one of their most important possessions. With some of the provisions implemented by Congress, law enforcement officials, and consumers, are now able to fight back. Visit the Federal Trade Commission's identity theft website for more information about identity theft and to learn how to protect your personal information. Additionally, OnGaurdOnline provides tips from the federal government and the technology industry to help you better protect your personal information online.
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