Editorial: Efforts to aid identity theft victims laudable

Published 12:00 am Wednesday, February 22, 2006

It seems like every time we turn around these days, we hear yet another story of someone becoming the unsuspecting victim of identity theft. Identity thieves have come out in nearly epidemic proportions, ruining people’s credit ratings so they’re unable to purchase that home or car they’ve been wanting.

We applaud the efforts of a Victoria lawmaker, who outlined a proposal Tuesday to make it easier for victims of identity theft to clean up their financial records.

State Rep. Paul Kohls, R-Victoria, said he wants to create an identity theft passport for victims, which they could present to financial institutions and credit bureaus as they seek to fix credit problems created by identity thieves. Kohls’ bill also would loosen the authentication requirements for financial documents used to prosecute identity theft cases in court and require credit card companies to verify applications when addresses don’t match up with the companies’ records.

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We all need to take steps to keep identity theft from happening to us.

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Don’t reveal personal information unless you know how it will be used and if it will be shared with others.

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If bills don’t arrive on time, contact your creditors. A missing bill could mean you’ve been a victim of mail theft.

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Deposit outgoing mail in postal collection boxes or at the post office. If you can’t pick up your mail, contact the post office and have your mail held until you can pick it up.

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Do not use obvious passwords or personal identification numbers on your various accounts.

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Minimize the number of credit cards you carry. If you apply for a new credit card and it doesn’t arrive in a reasonable period, contact the issuer. When you receive a new credit card, sign it in permanent ink and activate it immediately.

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Don’t give out personal information over the phone, on the Internet or through the mail unless you have initiated the contact or know exactly who you are dealing with. Make sure Internet sites you share information with are secure and have a privacy policy.

€ Shred all charge receipts, credit applications and other statements before throwing them away.

€ Do not carry your Social Security card or personal identification numbers with you.

We all need to take care to safeguard our identities. But if the worst does happen, it’s good to know legislators are looking at ways to repair the damage and prosecute offenders to the fullest.