States are putting even more muscle into protecting you from identity theft than is the federal government.
State legislatures around the country continue to respond quickly and efficiently to the growing identity theft crisis.
Most states have passed laws requiring that individuals be notified of security breaches. California, Texas, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and New York have created their own identity theft task forces focused on tracking--and solving identity--theft crimes. All over the country identity theft help and information is becoming more readily available.
California leads the nation in consumer protection laws that not only help to prevent identity theft, but also aid victims in recovering from identity theft. California banks and other state-based businesses notify customers when their information has been lost, or stolen. California’s identity theft laws also require companies to abbreviate and protect Social Security numbers from being viewed.
State-Specific Identity Theft Resources
Your best local source of identity theft information is your state attorney general’s office.
Here’s a link to a list of all fifty attorneys general:
www.naag.org/attorneys_general.php
You can find other comprehensive state-specific resources for identity theft information at:
• http://204.131.235.67/programs/lis/privacy/idt-statutes.htm for your state’s laws on ID Theft
• http://www.privacyrights.org/ar/ChronDataBreaches.htm#7 for your state’s laws on security breaches.
• http://www.idtheftcenter.org/artman2/publish/states/index.shtml
• www.privacyrights.org/fs/fs17a-IdTheft-UShtm
• www.perkinscole.com/statebreachchart
Act Locally
Report the identity theft crime to your local police or sheriff’s department. Local police departments may be hesitant to take your report; often they have neither the training, nor the budget to pursue identity theft cases. Statistics on identity theft crimes indicate that fewer than 1 in 700 perpetrators will be caught, so local officials may believe that they are powerless to assist you.
Be patient but persistent in requesting help. Explain to the officer that a police report is essential for you to clear up the mess ID criminals have made of your credit report, and your identity. Make sure you get the phone number of the investigating officer.
You should also check with your state DMV to see if your driver’s license number is being used to commit financial or criminal identity fraud. Stop by your local post office to make certain that no one has put in a false change of address or forwarding request which could divert your mail to them.
Here is some sample identity theft assistance information from a few states provided to illustrate the type of assistance that is available:
California Identity Theft Resources
• CALPIRG (California Public Interest Research Group): www.calpirg.org
Phone: (916) 448-4516
• Attorney General: Edmund G. "Jerry" Brown Jr. : http://ag.ca.gov
• CA Identity Theft Information Registry (for victims of Criminal Identity Theft): www.privacyprotection.ca.gov/sheets/cis8englsih.pdf
Texas Identity Theft Resources
• Attorney General: Greg Abbott (R)
Website: www.oag.state.tx.us/
• OAG Texas Fights Identity Theft
Website: www.texasfightsidtheft.gov
Identity Theft Victim's Kit: www.oag.state.tx.us/ag_publications/pdfs/IDTheft_Affidavit.pdf
• Texas Department of Public Safety
Driver License Division
Phone: (512) 424-2600 (English)
(512) 424-7181 (Spanish)
Website: www.txdps.state.tx.us
Ohio Identity Theft Resources
Ohio Attorney general: www.ag.state.oh.us
Ohio Department of Job and Family Services: www.jfs.ohio.gov/index.stm
