Consumer Protection News

TRENTON– On January 1, New Jersey’s potent, comprehensive “Identity Theft Prevention Act” took effect. The law limits the use and display of social security numbers, requires business to thoroughly destroy discarded documents, requires businesses to notify consumers if an unauthorized person accesses enough information to steal their identity, and empowers consumers to prevent new account fraud with a user-friendly “security freeze.”

“This law’s strong provisions will significantly reduce the id theft risks New Jerseyans face,” said Abigail Caplovitz of NJPIRG. “To be really secure, however, New Jerseyans need to use the Security Freeze this law gives them.”

The security freeze is the right to control access to your credit report. If used, the security freeze prevents identity thieves from getting new credit in your name. A handful of other states have created security freezes for their residents, however all of those security freezes are more expensive and more difficult to use than New Jersey’s. “New Jerseyans now have the most consumer friendly security freeze in the country,” said Caplovitz. “All consumers are going to wish they were lucky enough to be New Jerseyans.”

In 2005 careless companies and universities caused over 50 million Americans to have their personal information stolen or lost. Marriott’s recent failure to keep track of over 200,000 people’s names, social security numbers and other sensitive data is only the most recent example. “In the electronic age, where information about customers is prized, consumers have lost control of their identities,” said Caplovitz. “The security freeze is one way consumers can begin to take back control.” Details about the security freeze, including instructions for how to place it, are available on NJPIRG' website.

Congress has been considering several bills that relate to identity theft. While some have strong provisions, none provides the protection that New Jersey’s new law does. Unfortunately, passage of any of the bills Congress is considering would invalidate New Jersey’s law. “In a world where your personal information is a hot commodity and largely out of your control, it must be as easy for you to protect your identity as it is for a thief to shop with it,” said Caplovitz. “The New Jersey Legislature understood that, and gave New Jerseyans this law. We hope Congress gets it too.”

NJPIRG Citizen Lobby is one of the state’s largest advocacy groups, working for the public interest on behalf of our 25,000 members. Our mission is to deliver persistent, results oriented public interest activism that protects our environment, encourages a fair, sustainable economy, and fosters responsive, democratic government. We uncover threats to public health and well-being and fight to end them, using the time tested tools of investigative research, media exposés, grassroots organizing, advocacy and litigation.