While Rhode Island has taken some steps to fight identity theft, more needs to be done. RIPIRG is backing bills at the General Assembly that will empower consumers and help to prevent identity theft and credit mistakes.

The four critical steps are:
• Strengthen the state's new security breach notice law. The law was intended to improve data security and require consumers to be notified when their personal data is compromised, but the current act is inadequate because, among other reasons, it would not have covered the recent data breaches of the RI.gov website.
• Enact a strong security freeze law that gives consumers control over their credit reports and prevents identity theft before it happens, as twelve states have already done.
• Establish consumer-driven credit monitoring by giving consumers the right to obtain up to twelve low-cost credit reports each year.
• Limit access to Social Security numbers, which serve as keys that can unlock a consumer's financial identity.

Contact your legislators and let them know that you support giving consumers more tools to prevent identity theft and control their own financial information.

Many Rhode Islanders were shocked on January 27, 2006 when the Providence Journal reported that, "Russian hackers claim they accessed credit card information for up to 53,000 transactions" on the RI.gov website. Violations of this kind are a direct result of the volume of data collection occurring in our society and can be attributed to the carelessness of those storing our personal data.

Unfortunately, the RI.gov incident is not unusual; the amount of data that has been compromised in the past year is staggering. Since the announcement by ChoicePoint of a major data breach on February 15, 2005, over 53 million Americans have been exposed to the risk of ID theft because some amount of their personal information has been compromised. In short, consumer's personal data has become readily available and accessible to hackers and identity thieves.

Once identity thieves are able to arm themselves with a consumer's personal information, particularly their Social Security number, they can gain access to their identity and credit reports, allowing them to commit a wide range of identity crimes including: opening fraudulent credit card, cell phone, insurance, employment and utility accounts. Additional protections are needed for so consumers can protect themselves.

RIPIRG has teamed up with Consumers Union and AARP in Rhode Island to advocate for four bills (introduced by Reps. Gemma and Rice, and Sens. Tassoni and Roberts) at the General Assembly that will help prevent identity theft and credit report mistakes.