Florida Identity Theft
By Rick Hazeltine
Staff Editorial Writer
Florida is popular with retirees and is an attractive vacation destination for people of all ages. But the Sunshine State has a cloud hanging over it in the form of identity theft.
Florida identity theft complaints ranked No. 3 in the nation for 2008 according to the annual Federal Trade Commission survey. There were 24,440 Florida identity theft complaints in 2008.
Fortunately for citizens, the state has taken a serious approach to Florida identity theft. Here are some of the resources available to citizens if they think they have been a victim of identity theft.
- The state's primary law against Florida identity theft is the Criminal Use of Personal Identification Information. The law covers fraud, credit card crimes and also violations by credit service organizations and credit counseling services.
- For Florida identity theft victims, the state offers a downloadable and printable Identity Theft Victim Kit. The kit will help resident victims of Florida identity theft with the resources to begin getting their financial lives back in order. The kit includes how to report the incident to the fraud department of the three major credit bureaus - Equifax, Experian and TransUnion; how to contact the fraud department of each of your creditors and how to report the incident to law enforcement. The kit can be downloaded at the Office of the Attorney General of Florida Web site at Office of the Attorney General of Florida
- Florida identity theft victims can also access information at several other state Web sites. The Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services operates Secure Florida at secureflorida.org. Victims of Florida identity theft can find a variety of informative articles and tips. Secure Florida also pursues community and legislative initiatives to protect citizens and the state economy by safeguarding information systems
- The Florida Department of Law Enforcement is another good Web site with valuable information for Florida identity theft victims. The agency oversees the Florida Computer Crime Center. For victims of Florida identity theft, this department is the place to file a complaint so that it can identify particular schemes and general crime trends so it can make the public aware of these crimes.
- The Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles also handles Florida identity theft issues, primarily as they relate to driver license fraud. The agency says that citizens who are victims of Florida identity theft can place a "Verify ID Flag" on their driver record. This will let law enforcement know that someone may be using your identity, and they will require additional information if someone uses your driver's license for identification. Anyone who tries to use your name to get a driver license or ID card will have to produce additional identification. Also, if a court sends information to put on your driver record, you will be notified by mail. To place a "Verify ID Flag" on your driver record, make a written request to: Division of Driver Licenses, Fraud Section, Mail Stop 87, Room A327, 2900 Apalachee Parkway, Tallahassee, FL 32399-0500
