The Federal Trade Commission reports that the number of identity theft complaints nearly doubled last year.
California had the second-highest rate, with 91 victims per 100,000 people. Arizona followed with 88 per 100,000 people. The District of Columbia had the highest rate with 123 per 100,000.
The fast-growing crime topped the government´s list of consumer frauds for a third year in a row. Complaints about fraud in Internet auctions ranked number two.
The Justice Department says that up to 700,000 people in the United States may be victimized by identity bandits each year.
A spokesman for California Senator Dianne Feinstein says she will introduce several bills in the next few weeks, seeking greater protections for Social Security numbers and stiffer penalties for identity thieves.
For more…On the Net: http://www.ftc.gov
ID theft site: http://www.creditscore.net/additional-resources/fight-identity-theft/
Privacy Rights Clearinghouse: http://www.privacyrights.org
This post was last modified on 01/31/2009 4:48 pm