Just a few years ago, I wouldn’t have given a second thought to the chance that my identity could be stolen. But living in an information age not only gives us more opportunities to connect with one another, it also provides more chances to become vulnerable to identity theft.
The major concern with identity theft is that your personal information can be compromised anytime, anywhere. It’s not as simple as having your wallet stolen or losing a purse. Identity theft involves someone obtaining your driver’s license number, social security number, bank statement, or other information that could be used to verify identity or access personal records.
Identity theft is a growing problem in our country. A recent story in USA Today even reported that some identity thieves duplicate vehicle identification numbers. Identity thieves use the stolen VIN numbers to mask the actual VIN numbers on cars they steal, making it harder to recover the vehicle. Since the VIN number is tied to your car’s registration, other information about you may be obtained as well.
No matter how careful we are, our personal information is everywhere. Currently, there are two proposals before the Maine Legislature that would give consumers additional protection when information is compromised.
One bill gives consumers the opportunity to “freeze” information on their credit reports. Credit reporting agencies would allow Maine residents to put a hold on their accounts if their personal information has been compromised. This would prevent any further damage to credit reports while the situation is being investigated. A consumer who is not the victim of identity theft would also be able to freeze his or her report, though a nominal fee would apply.
Part of the problem with identity theft is not being aware that your information has become vulnerable. Another proposal asks that businesses, from data collection agencies to the corner store, notify you in writing about the unauthorized acquisition of electronic information. This issue came to light when major data collection agencies acknowledged that their computer files had been accessed by outside users.
These companies, such as LexisNexis, Axiom and ChoicePoint are legitimate brokers of personal information. They purchase data from government agencies, businesses and credit bureaus, in order to sell it to sell it to other similar types of groups. It’s supposed to be used for background checks and related purposes by people like employers, landlords, and insurers. However, they are not required by law in Maine to tell you if their computer files are hacked.
Under this bill, these companies would have to send you a letter, or, in some cases, post it online or take an ad out of the newspaper when identities have been stolen. The same is true for local businesses.
In the meantime, the Maine Attorney General’s Office (www.maine.gov/ag) and the Federal Trade Commission have some good resources to learn about how to protect yourself from identity theft. The FTC site, http://www.consumer.gov/idtheft/, also allows you to file a complaint online, and download forms to prove to credit organizations that you didn’t create debt when your identity was stolen. It also has phone numbers for credit reporting bureaus like Equifax, Experian, and Trans Union that you can contact to determine if someone has stolen your personal information and is using it illegally.
I plan to support these proposals when they come to the House, because I believe it’s important for consumers to be protected in these situations. If I can provide more information on these bills or be of assistance on any other state matter, please do not hesitate to call me at home at 892-6591 or e-mail me at Rep.MarkBryant@yahoo.com.
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