Identity Theft Prevention.

Identity Theft Prevention. Can we actually prevent this crime?

Let's get straight to the point. No, a person can no more prevent identity theft than they can stop the next highway accident from occurring. Our approach to this crime must be no different than our approach to our home being burglarized. We should take every step possible to not be an easy target.

When someone speaks of Identity Theft Prevention, they are usually referring to the steps a consumer can take to minimize their chances of becoming the next id theft victim. Id thieves are predatory creatures. They tend to go after the easy targets first, after all, they are looking to collect personal information not to prove anything to anyone.

Having come to the conclusion that it is not a preventable crime, what can we do to remove the bulls eye from our chest? Of course, that is assuming we want to remove it! Sadly, a huge part of the reason the crime is proliferating can be attributed to complicity. Not enough people think it is a problem that will affect them and therefore they take no action.

Let's start with the credit bureaus. Opinions vary as to the actual measures they are taking to protect our personal information. Personally, we feel that if all a person needs to access another person's credit file is their social security number, there cannot be too many preventive measures in place. Even the clerk at 7-11 checks a teenager's id more diligently before selling them cigarettes!

Who out there is actually practicing Identity Fraud Prevention?

Banks and other financial institutions 'lose' our information on a regular basis. We have all seen their 'cute' identity theft commercials, but when was the last time we saw a financial institution actually being held responsible for mishandling personal information entrusted to them?

When President Bush signed the Fair and Accurate Credit Transactions Act of 2003 (FACTA) into law. Bankers throughout the land breathed a collective sigh of relief. Bankers were worried because identity theft, and the corresponding consumer outrage, had spawned a plethora of enacted and proposed state legislation aimed at, of all things, protecting consumers. What a novel idea, too bad we can't have that and still make huge profits!

Some of this legislation was designed to strike at the heart of the U.S. credit infrastructure. FACTA essentially came to their rescue by allowing the Federal Government to override non-banker friendly state legislature in cases of identity theft.

The idea of Identity Theft Prevention, should be to put safeguards in place BEFORE a breach occurs, at the source of the potential problem. At the databases where so many people lives hang in the balance. Looking around, you'll see what we have instead. One problem, many proposals for a solution.

Everyone has their own solution for identity theft prevention. When are they going to get together and figure out that the crime is very basic, a theft of personal information. Stop the information flow and you have the crime under control. Attack the problem at its source, wherever the information is being compromised. Enough of the "slap on the wrist" style retribution. It's not working!


Early on we noticed that one of the first flaws in the system was the fact that local law enforcement was very reluctant to get involved. It still amazes us that the precinct will take a police report in a heart beat about graffiti, yet they will do everything in their power to not get involved with identity theft reports.

The main issue here is, identity theft is growing in leaps and bounds, yet almost nothing is being done within the industry to educate law enforcement on ways enforce the Fair and Accurate Credit Transaction Act of 2003. FACTA for short.

Our proposal: Since Identity Theft can have such devastating effects on a citizen's life, everyone entrusted with our personal information must face stronger penalties for compromising it. Secondly, agencies like the FTC and the Department of Justice should immediately start working on standardized REQUIRED FACTA training for all Law Enforcement. Every police agency needs to know how to handle this crime. The criminals are well organized aren't they? (We are not saying every officer must be FACTA certified, every precinct is good enough).