Related Info: Legislation Identity Theft and Assumption Deterrence Act of 1998 PL 105-318 Congressional Research Service Reports Remedies Available to Victims of Identity Theft - May 13, 2003

Identity theft is one of the fastest growing crimes in the country. In 1997, Congress passed and the President signed into law the "Identity Theft and Assumption Deterrence Act." This legislation made it illegal to transfer or use, without lawful authority, a person's means of identity, including Social Security number, with the intent to commit a felony. However, it is clear that more needs to be done to address this problem.

The FTC has installed a toll-free number, 1-877-IDTHEFT ( 877-438-4338) where consumers who have been victims of identity theft can report the crime and get advice from telephone counselors trained to provide assistance to ID theft victims. Under the provisions of the Identity Theft and Assumption Deterrence Act of 1998, the FTC is mandated to establish a national clearinghouse for ID theft complaint data. Using the data from ID theft victims, as well as data from other agencies such as the Social Security Administration that take ID theft calls, law enforcement agencies will be able to target prosecutions where they will be most effective, and the FTC can analyze the data to determine how best to cut down on ID theft.

The agency also has developed an online consumer complaint form located at www.consumer.gov/idtheft ID theft victims can enter their complaint data directly into the FTC's secure database from that site. The site also provides links to numerous consumer education materials, as well as state laws governing ID theft, articles, reports and testimony.