For the eighth straight year, the Federal Trade Commission has labeled identity theft as the fastest growing crime in the United States. That is eight years too long! With millions of new victims each year, thieves have made statistics out of children, the elderly, the rich and the poor.
Since 2005, more than 230 million Americans (80,000 people a day) have received notice that their personal information has gone missing, causing panic, frustration and stress to those affected.
Recently, Congress has taken steps to provide consumers with basic safeguards to protect personal information and prevent identity theft, however much more needs to be done. As consumers we need to be united in urging Congress to provide the following:
» Establish stronger penalties for third party agencies that lose consumers personal information
» Request stronger penalties that will prosecute identity thieves
» Assign more funding to law enforcement to fight this crime
» Enact laws to prevent agencies from selling personal information
» Demand that the Social Security Administration create a checks-and-balances system for the correct use of Social Security Numbers.
Join LifeLock® and urge your Congressional Representatives to enact identity theft protection legislation that makes sense and really works.
We the undersigned are writing to urge you to support comprehensive legislation to protect consumers from the growing threat of identity theft.
For the eighth straight year, the Federal Trade Commission has labeled identity theft as the fastest growing crime in the United States and I believe that this is eight years too long! With millions of new victims each year, thieves have made statistics out of children, the elderly, the rich and the poor. When will this stop?
Since 2005 more than 230 million Americans - that's 80,000 people a day - have received notice their personal information has gone missing, causing panic, frustration and stress to those affected.
It's time for Congress to give Americans meaningful identity theft protections. Insist on stronger penalties when third party agencies lose my personal information. Demand stronger penalties to prosecute identity thieves and curb the crime. Assign more funding to law enforcement to fight this battle. Enact laws to prevent agencies from selling my personal information. Demand that the Social Security Administration create a checks-and-balances system for the correct use of Social Security Numbers.
We are hopeful that this issue is as important to you as it is to your constituents. We would like to see Congress take a stand on this issue and maybe in 2009, identity theft will no longer be the fastest growing crime in the U.S.
