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Is Identity Theft Taken Seriously By The Government?
May 11, 2007
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There has been substantial public attention given to the problem of Identity Theft. The President's Identity Theft Task Force was formed. A 120 page Strategic Plan was released in April. The Federal Trade Commission has launched its "Deter, Detect, Defend - Avoid ID Theft" campaign. Several government websites have been launched including ftc.gov/idtheft and idtheft.gov .
In addition, more than half of U.S. States have passed Credit Freeze laws. State laws have also been passed to ensure proper disposal of sensitive consumer information by merchants. Under such laws, several merchants have already been charged for improper data disposal. In addition, Identity Theft arrests are being reported almost on a daily basis.
Yet, in an informal poll/survey published at www.creditlock.com, when asked "How serious do you believe the U.S. Government is about eliminating Identity Theft? ", 50% of respondents said "not serious at all," 35% said "somewhat serious," 4% said "serious," 4% said "very serious," and 8% said "extremely serious." Despite the fact that the poll is informal, and its sample size is small but growing (typically ranging between 25 and 100 unique respondents), such results are undoubtedly one sided, with 85% of respondents choosing either "not serious at all" or "somewhat serious."
Although we believe that the government is at the least "very serious," why do most respondents say otherwise? What can the government do to improve such perception? |
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 | In general, in the case of individuals, institutions, companies and governments, seriousness about a declared objective is determined by several factors: A- Credibility, B- Actions taken, C- Actions not taken, D- Mistakes, and most importantly, E- Results.
It is unfortunate that in the same month the Identity Theft Task Force Strategic Plan was being released by U.S. Attorney General Alberto Gonzales, there had been questions directed at Gonzales regarding the firing of eight federal prosecutors. A headline at Fox News, on April 23, said: "Senators Question Gonzales' Credibility After Senate Hearing." Another headline at Portland Press Herald / Maine Sunday Telegram, on April 24, said: "With Credibility Gone, Gonzales Should Resign." Although the matter for which Gonzales was being criticized is not related to Identity Theft, it is unfortunate that such matter may have had a negative impact.
It may not be a bad idea for the government to hire a popular, credible, well liked spokesperson to lead the Identity Theft public awareness program. For example, a TV campaign led by Tom Hanks. Most people love Tom Hanks. In most his roles, if not all, he is liked for his aura of sincerity, goodness, and that "je ne sais quoi..." which simply makes you love the guy.
Although the government has started many initiatives to help fight Identity Theft, most such steps are "initiatives," and not necessarily "actions." Identity Theft has been a problem for several years now. Most States have taken actions and passed laws several years ago. Yet, the U.S. government is still contemplating its possible actions, and still gathering recommendations. It is undoubtedly necessary not to take any actions in a haste, and to make certain actions are well thought out prior to being implemented. However, with every passing year, another 9 Million individuals fall victim to Identity Theft. That does not help....
The perception about the government's seriousness about eliminating Identity Theft is also affected by lack of action on a National Credit Freeze law. It seems that by the time the federal government passes such law, most states would have already passed their own laws. By the end of this year, |
Credit Freeze laws would have become effective in more than 30 states. An interactive color-coded map showing the availability of Credit Freeze throughout the U.S. can be found at http://www.creditlock.com/creditlockdownpro.html .
Many consumers are also concerned that the government could make mistakes upon taking actions on its recommendations for fighting Identity Theft. Consumers are concerned a government's breach and notification law could supersede effective state laws already passed, such as in California. In addition, consumers are concerned that sharing of Identity Theft Victim data could result in privacy issues. It is most important for the government to address such issues, and avoid any mistakes, in order to improve the public's perception about the government's seriousness.
Finally, results speak for themselves. Despite the fact that there may have been some slight improvements in the number of consumers falling victim to Identity Theft in 2006 vs. 2005, the absolute numbers are still staggering. Millions of individuals become victims of Identity Theft every year. No matter how serious the government is about eliminating Identity Theft, unless there is a sharp and noticeable decline in such numbers, the negative perception may be hard to overcome. Logically, consumers may wonder: "if the government is serious about eliminating Identity Theft, then how come there are Millions of Victims, and Billions of losses every year?" Many people believe that former New York mayor, Rudy Giuliani, was very serious about reducing crime in New York City. Such perception was earned by the substantial drop in the crime rate in New York City under Giuliani. If despite Giuliani's efforts, actual crime rate had not dropped, but had increased or stayed constant, it is possible that the public's perception would have been that he was not serious about reducing the crime rate in New York City.
In conclusion, although we believe the government is very serious about eliminating Identity Theft, our view is not shared by the respondents to the recent survey/poll at www.creditlock.com . Establishing credibility, taking actions, eliminating inactions, avoiding possible mistakes, protecting privacy, preserving effective state laws, and substantially reducing the number of Identity Victims and Identity Theft losses could change such perception. |
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