Prosecuting Identity Theft

Identity thieves steal millions from consumers every year and leave victims with months of paperwork and stress to straighten out the mess. When Rob became AG, Washington was ranked #7 in the nation for identity theft. Thanks to Rob’s focus on education, legislation and prosecution, Washington has fallen to #13 and is moving in the right direction.

Recognizing the costs of identity theft when he took office, Rob formed the Law Enforcement Group against Identity Theft (LEGIT), bringing law enforcement officials together to coordinate efforts targeting identity thieves. His “Guard It! Washington” tour educates consumers on how to safeguard their important information and includes free shredding events. Rob reaches out to businesses, government agencies and non-profit groups, teaching them how to protect citizens’ data from thieves.

In the past, consumers couldn’t “freeze” their credit unless they were already victims of identity theft. Thanks to Rob’s efforts, consumers can preemptively freeze their credit to prevent thieves from using it. Rob also pushed for new laws making it easier to put identity thieves behind bars. Prosecutors can now produce evidence more easily and charge thieves for each time they use a stolen identity, resulting in more jail time.

For more on Rob's efforts on ID theft and other Internet Security issues, read and comment on these blogs:

"Who's Keeping an "I" On the Internet
John Ladenburg Needs to do his Homework
Search for the term "Identity Theft"