Will a special “passport" issued to victims of identity theft help protect them from charges leveled by the police and credit organizations? No doubt it will, but, as InfoWatch points out, preventing the root cause of identity theft is a far more effective method of combating the crime.
Legislators in the U.S. state of Iowa have suggested creating a special “passport" to help demonstrate the innocence of those affected by identity theft.
The card, or “Identity Theft Passport" certificate, would be presented to law enforcement officials to help prevent arrest or detention for an offence committed by someone using the victim's identity, according to the text of the bill proposing the measure. In addition, the “passport" would help establish a greater sense of trust at the initial stages of an investigation between the holder and law enforcers. The latter often suspect identity theft victims of lying.
The decision on whether the “passport" will be adopted in the state will be made by the law enforcement bodies and credit organizations. To receive an Identity Theft Passport, a person would have to file a police report and then send it, along with an application form, to the state Attorney General's office. The bill has already passed the Iowa House of Representatives and is due to be considered by the state senate.
The idea for the “passport" came from an Ohio politician who fell victim to identity theft. According to the Federal Trade Commission, identity theft continues to plague consumers, topping the list of fraud complaints reported last year. Consumers filed more than 255,000 identity theft reports to the FTC in 2005, a third of all complaints made to the consumer body.
“Any measures that help protect the victims of identity theft have to be welcomed. However, it should be remembered that the proposed bill only treats the aftermath of the illness and not the cause. The root of the problem lies in huge databases of private information that are often accessed by insiders and criminals. This is what really needs greater protection," says Denis Zenkin, marketing director at InfoWatch.
Source: Silicon.com
