Making ID Theft Easy in the West
Two stories from Oregon and California highlight the growing problems with Identity Theft. In Hillsboro, Oregon a man was found with computer discs containing DMV data on thousands of drivers in Oregon. It is not clear if he might have sold this information to other identity thieves. In California the State is responsible for selling the birth records of more than 24 million Californians to a web site that has posted it on the Internet, offering easy access to critical information needed to create fake identities. Senator Cantwell from Washington is introducing legislation in Congress to give consumers more control over their credit record.Update: Company Agrees to remove birth record data from Internet, but only if the affected Californian asks them.
Privacy concerns lead Web site to delete birth data by request San Jose Mercury News, November 30, 2001
Alleged ID Theft Could Affect Thousands In Oregon Yahoo News, November 28, 2001
State sells birth data to Web site, raising ID theft fears San Jose Mercury News, November 29, 2001
Cantwell proposes ID-theft law Seattle Times, November 27, 2001
