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Calling for Accountability of the Federal Trade Commission

If you didn't already know, I'm pretty mad at the FTC. Though ID theft has been the top consumer complaint for the last 6 years running, though they have put a large amount of resources into their consumer education campaign (on their anti-ID theft website for example), though the chairwoman of the FTC, Deborah Platt Majoras, co-chaired the Presidential ID Theft Taskforce, they have completely failed to educate customers about Credit Security Freezes. I sent a member of the FTC's media relations department an e-mail requesting to know how the FTC is doing their job if they won't promote credit freezes, but, of course, I got no reply. Therefore, I'm going to see what happens if I contact the Government Accountability Office instead. Their job is to report any agency that is wasting tax-payer money right? So this should be right up their alley. Here's the e-mail I sent them:
To whom it may concern, I am a computer security professional who has worked to bring more attention to the ID theft issue and viable solutions to the problem. I have long been frustrated that the Federal Trade Commission has failed to propose or recommend the one most valuable tool in combating ID theft that there is. Credit Security Freezes, which have been enacted in many states, allow customers to lock their credit files under a special code or password that only the consumer knows. Once frozen, anyone who would attempt ID theft (in situations that require a credit check) would fail no matter how much of the consumer's personal information that the thief has. Freezes are fast, simple, effective, low cost, and provide peace of mind. The only people who don't want to see this in action are the credit reporting companies themselves who make millions by selling the information they gather to as many people as they can, thief or otherwise. But the question wasn't "how can we keep credit reporting company's profit lines intact", it's "how can we curb or eliminate ID theft". My point in contacting you is that the FTC is well aware of how important Freezes are, but does not include much (if any) information on them on the FTC's website or in their training and public education efforts. Further, the presidential ID theft task force co-chaired by the chairwoman of the FTC included a very small negatively worded summary of Freezes as being something that would be more likely to "inconvenience the consumer". The FTC is wasting millions of dollars, wasting our time, and not doing their job by ignoring this simple solution to what has been the top consumer complaint for the last 6 years (and counting). Please let me know if your agency has authority to call them to task for their unconscionable waste of money and efforts and, if not, please let me know who does. Thank you for your time. Jeremy Duffy CISSP
2007 Oct 09 No response. Not that I'm surprised.

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If you want to learn more about my professional background, click here to learn more.

Check out one of my guides/tutorials:

data defense Tutorial
|INDEX|next: Protecting Social Security Numbers
It's impossible to fully prevent credit card fraud, but there are several things you can do to help.
Social security numbers have become the gateway to all kinds of identity abuses so the less people you give it to, the better.
Your data is as valuable as money so protect it like money!
What do you do once your data is already out there? This.

... or check out any of my other guides and tutorials by clicking here!

Protecting Credit Cards

Credit card fraud isn't ID Theft, but is closely relatedare often used fraudulently so do what you can to prevent it.

[Click for full description]

Protecting Social Security Numbers

Social security numbers have become the gateway to all kinds of identity abuses so the less people you give it to, the better.

[Click for full description]

Being a Data Scrooge

Learn to protect your personal information the way Scrooge did his money.

[Click for full description]

Reputation Management

Just because there are things out there about you that are out of your control and are unflattering or worse, doesn't mean you're powerless.

[Click for full description]