WASHINGTON LaTourette bill aims at identity theft

The bill would lift the burden of repairing damaged credit from the victim.
By DAVID SKOLNICK
VINDICATOR POLITICS WRITER
WASHINGTON -- U.S. Rep. Steven C. LaTourette introduced legislation in the U.S. House to protect consumers against identity theft and make it easier to repair damage to their credit if they become a victim of identity theft.
LaTourette, of Madison, whose district includes seven northern townships in Trumbull County, co-sponsored the bipartisan bill with U.S. Rep. Darlene Hooley, a West Linn, Ore., Democrat.
"It's a Herculean effort to try and get your credit repaired if you're a victim of identity theft, and up until now all the heavy lifting has fallen on the victim," said LaTourette, R-14th. "Our bill gives credit card companies, banks and credit bureaus the tools to act as a first line of defense for consumers. Our bill will make them have an obligation to quickly spot, investigate and resolve problems arising from identity theft."
Change of address
The proposal includes requirements for change of address notification, fraud alerts, and a new rule to require only a partial display of credit card and debit card numbers on receipts.
"The average person doesn't change their address a dozen times in six months, but that's precisely what an identity thief might do to stay one step ahead of authorities," LaTourette said. "Our bill tells the bank, credit card company or credit bureau that they simply have to verify information as important as address changes."
The Federal Trade Commission received more than 380,000 consumer fraud and identity theft complaints last year, and reported losses from fraud of more than $343 million.
Under the proposal, companies issuing credit cards would have to investigate and resolve discrepancies regarding changes of address, and contact consumers when changes of address are requested.
Also, the bill would require credit bureaus to insert a fraud alert into a person's credit file if a person believes they are a victim of identity theft, and requires retailers to print only the last four digits of a credit or debit card account number on a receipt.
skolnick@vindy.com