Is the government doing anything to help prevent identity theft and help victims?
In 2006, the President, by executive order, established the federal Identity Theft Task Force. To date, the Task Force has issued two reports which can be found on its Web site: www.identitytheft.gov. The latest report details the steps the federal government has taken and, in particular, efforts to reduce the use of sensitive information like the Social Security number in federal records. Most states have also enacted legislation to combat identity, including limits on the use of Social Security numbers in public records, the right to place a security freeze on credit reports, and stiffer penalties for identity t heft. For a full review of state legislation, see the Web site for the National Conference of State Legislatures, identity theft page: www.ncsl.org/programs/lis/privacy/idtheft.htm. See also its financial privacy page: www.ncsl.org/programs/lis/privacy/financeprivacy.htm .
