More help for New York ID theft victims

January 12, 9:44 AMNY Consumer Affairs ExaminerAsa Aarons

Previous Next

Comment Print Email RSS Subscribe

Subscribe

Get alerts when there is a new article from the NY Consumer Affairs Examiner. Read Examiner.com's terms of use.

Email Address   Include other special offers from Examiner.com Terms of Use

Consumers in New York State are starting to benefit from a law providing more assistance and possible restitution to victims of identity theft. The law, which went into effect in New York last summer, restricts the use of Social Security numbers, strengthens the state security freeze law, outlaws the use of so-called skimmer devices and creates more sources of help for victims.

It also enables ID theft victims to seek restitution equal to the value of the time they spend fixing the damage to their credit and reputation. The Federal Trade Commission's Identity Theft Resource Center estimates that it can take as much as 330 hours to resolve problems associated with identity theft.

Last week, the New York State Consumer Protection Board implemented provisions of the new law by creating an Identity Theft Prevention and Mitigation Program. The program could help ID theft victims save "time, money and additional aggravation," said Mindy A. Bockstein, chair and executive director of the CPB.

New York consumers "who are already on overload dealing with the fallout of identity theft" will no longer need to hunt for assistance and information, Bockstein said.

ID theft victims often spend countless hours unraveling a twisted maze of false accounts, bogus applications for jobs and services and ruined credit. Some even have the burden of dealing with criminal charges for offenses the thieves committed in their names.

The Identity Theft Prevention and Mitigation Program created a repository of identity theft-related resources and tools, including access to trained consumer advisors. The advisors are empowered to intervene with creditors, financial institutions, credit-reporting agencies, utilities and employers on behalf of ID theft victims.

The CPB also developed an Identity Theft Victim Journal and an Identity Theft Victim Restitution Journal. Victims can use the restitution journal to document the time they spend and expenses they incur repairing damage to their financial records and credit standing.

In the coming months, the CPB plans to strengthen its partnerships with industry, courts, the Department of Labor and other state agencies to implement the new restrictions on Social Security numbers, increase consumer awareness about “skimmer devices,” which can obtain personal identifying information from credit cards and explain the changes to the Security Freeze law.

The Security Freeze law enables consumers to place a lock on access to credit reports, potentially preventing unauthorized access. Credit reporting agencies are currently required to comply with such requests, as well as requests to lift a freeze, within three business days. The new law reduces the amount of time it takes to lift a freeze by telephone or secure Internet connection to 15 minutes, effective this September. It also reduces the time it takes to place a freeze to one day, starting next year.