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Identity theft is top consumer complaint in 2007

BY RICHARD J. DALTON JR. | richard.dalton@newsday.com

March 4, 2008

Identity theft was the No. 1 consumer complaint nationwide and in New York State last year for the seventh year in a row, according to a report to be released Tuesday by the Federal Trade Commission.

New Yorkers filed 19,319 identity-theft complaints last year, accounting for 32 percent of consumer complaints. The bulk of the cases involved phone, utilities and credit-card fraud. New York had the sixth-highest identity-theft rate among the 50 states, with 100 complaints for every 100,000 residents. Read whole article

Have you ever noticed that there are lots of places to go to secure your identity for fee? You can list your name on agency lists, you can even add protection to your homeowners policy. But what about when it happens? How easy is it to clear up the problem? Answer - not always easy. It is far better today than it used to be in the past, in fact, in the past you were usually liable for the amount charged against you. And even when you do clear up the problem sometimes credit bureaus are lax in taking your 'bad' credit problems off your report. In my opinion, we need stiffer laws against the perpetrators of identity theft and more understanding for the victim. No wonder it is so prevalent, the perpetrators know full well it is a crime they can easily either get away with or get a slap on the back of the hand for. Make time equal to the crime and it will stop real fast. The crime is not just identity theft but robbing people of part of their good name, their future ability to buy things, secure credit, apply for positions, obtain security clearance, etc --- the perpetrators are stealing a whole lot more than just a name and some numbers. Legislators need to know the pain the victims have and change the laws.

If you want to comment on this you can go to the community forum and post a comment in the general area under the topic: Identity Theft.

Want to know more from our government on Identity Theft : Government Identity Theft Page

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