| Entities | |
| Topics and Issues | Credit repair (34) Identity theft (12) |
President George W. Bush issued Executive Order 13402 on May 10, 2006 (amended in November 2006). This order “launched a new era in the fight against identity theft by…establishing [a Presidential] Identity Theft Task Force.” On April 11, 2007, the Task Force submitted its Strategic Plan to the President. “The Strategic Plan examined the nature and scope of identity theft and offered a far-reaching series of recommendations to reduce its incidence and impact. Although these recommendations were directed primarily at improving the federal government’s response to identity theft, the Task Force recognized that everyone—consumers, the private sector, and federal, state, and local governments—has a role to play in fighting this crime.”
In September 2008, the Task Force issued its report. The report
documents the Task Force’s efforts to implement the Strategic Plan’s recommendations. The Task Force has successfully carried out most of the recommendations or is making substantial progress in doing so. The Strategic Plan included recommendations in four key areas:
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- Data protection—keeping consumer data out of the hands of criminals;
- Avoiding data misuse—making it harder for criminals to exploit consumer data;
- Victim assistance—making it easier for victims to detect and recover from identity theft; and
- Deterrence—increasing prosecution and punishment of perpetrators.
In these four areas, the Task Force made a total of 31 recommendations, ranging from small, incremental steps to broad policy changes. Among other things,
The FTC, together with criminal law enforcers and representatives of financial institutions, the consumer data industry, and consumer advocacy groups, developed a universal form that met the goals of this recommendation. In October 2006, the resulting “Identity Theft Complaint” form was made available on the FTC’s website, www.ftc.gov/idtheft. The form also can be accessed on the Task Force’s online clearinghouse, www.idtheft.gov.