Consumer Reports is no hotbed of left-wing politics, but the magazine has sent its subscribers in Missouri this letter, taking aim at the (Republican-led) legislature:
Make 2008 the year the Missouri legislature protects you from identity theft.
According to Consumer Reports most recent survey research, nearly a quarter of all adults have been a victim of ID theft or have a family member whose identity was stolen–about 51 million people!
Your representatives left you vulnerable to this crime wave, but there are common sense solutions. Thirty-nine states and the District of Columbia recently passed “Security Freeze” laws, but your
state lawmakers have not acted to protect you.
Now is the time to demand that they provide you with this essential tool against new account identity theft and fraud.Contact your legislators by clicking here.
A “security freeze” blocks access to your consumer credit report and credit score. Without this information, a business will not open new accounts for a thief. When you choose to open a new account, you provide a PIN to unlock access to the credit file.
As with other areas of crime, identity thieves go where it is easiest to commit illegal activity. Don’t leave yourself vulnerable to new
account theft and fraud. Tell your legislators that you want security.
Everyday, an estimated 27,000 Americans become victims of identity theft. That’s almost 19 new identity theft victims every single minute, according to a report to the Federal Trade Commission by many firms like the North Shore Advisory, Inc.
We’re one of only eleven states failing to protect their citizens from ID theft? That’s bad company we’re keeping.