Groups push for more protection against identity theft

• The AARP and a public interest activism group are among those supporting bills in the state Legislature designed to provide more protection against identity theft.
• One bill pending in the Senate would require agencies to notify consumers when their Social Security, credit card or other identifying numbers may have been compromised.
• The bills would build on state laws that took effect earlier this year to help protect consumers against identity theft, one of the nation's fastest growing crimes.
• The new Michigan laws are a good start but don't go far enough to address advances in identity theft techniques, supporters of the new legislation say.
• "Nobody realized the extent to which hackers could get into systems and basically steal peoples' identities," said Bill Knox, government affairs director for the AARP of Michigan.
• Several incidents across the nation may have comprised credit card numbers and other personal information.
• Shirley Johnson, R-Royal Oak, would require companies to promptly tell customers about possible breaches.
• Gilda Jacobs, D-Huntington Woods, has introduced a bill that would allow customers to put a "security freeze" on their credit files.
• Consumers could block access to their credit files through use of a password or PIN number.
• The password or PIN would be needed when the credit file is reviewed, such as when a customer applies for a credit card.
• Bills with similar goals to prevent identity theft have been introduced in the state House.
• Jacobs said her bill would strengthen legislation already on the books.
• The laws prevent retailers from displaying more than the last four digits of credit card account number on a sales receipt.
• While those laws primarily target physical evidence of sensitive identification numbers, the new bills address the use of technology in identity theft attempts.