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Identity theft is the fastest growing crime in America. Creditors contribute to the problem when they don't carefully check the identity of a person before they grant credit. Consumer financial privacy is threatened by businesses that sell consumers' personal financial information or share it with their hundreds or thousands of affiliates without the consumer's permission.

Following are news releases, letters to legislators, and other documents Consumers Union has issued on this issue.

Privacy

Consumer Tips
- Stop phishing
- Things to consider when deciding whether to place a Security Freeze
- ID theft freeze available nationwide on Nov. 1
- Costly credit-monitoring services offer limited fraud protection
- Powerful ID theft protection goes nationwide
- Groups comment to Subcommittee on Health on HR 4157
- 26.5 million veterans at risk for identity theft
- Free credit reports available to consumers nationwide
Credit Reports & Scores
- New year is a good time to order free credit reports
- CU says Social Security numbers need protection
- ID theft freeze available nationwide on Nov. 1
- Costly credit-monitoring services offer limited fraud protection
- Powerful ID theft protection goes nationwide
- TransUnion offering security freeze nationwide
- CR Poll: Americans want identity theft protections
- The secret score behind your auto insurance
- 26.5 million veterans at risk for identity theft
- Proposed AZ identity theft safeguard too costly for consumers
- Free credit reports available to consumers nationwide
- Illinois Governor signs identity theft protections into law
- Consumers in most U.S. states can now get free credit reports
- Letter to the FTC regarding free annual credit report site is blocking web links
- CU opposes proposal to require utilities to report payment information to credit reporting agencies
- President Bush Signs Measure Today Providing ID Theft, Credit Report Protections; Yet Fails on Financial Privacy
- Proposed Changes to Fair Credit Reporting Act Do Not Go Far Enough to Protect Consumers
Financial Privacy
- CU says Social Security numbers need protection
- Things to consider when deciding whether to place a Security Freeze
- State laws restricting private use of Social Security numbers
- FTC: 8.3 million identity theft victims in U.S.
- Federal legislators tell consumer reporting agencies to improve the security freeze
- ID theft freeze available nationwide on Nov. 1
- Frequently asked questions about security freeze
- Costly credit-monitoring services offer limited fraud protection
- Powerful ID theft protection goes nationwide
- TransUnion offering security freeze nationwide
- CR Poll: Americans want identity theft protections
- Summary of Social Security Number Privacy Legislation
- CU urges federal policymakers to restrict the use of Social Security numbers
- Protect your Social Security Number
- Congress considers new ID theft protection
- 39 states lets consumers freeze credit files
- CU praises Senate Identity theft legislation
- Consumers Union letter on S. 495
- Consumers Union letter on S. 1178
- President's ID Theft Task Force's Plan Falls Short
- More consumers can freeze credit files as of January 1, 2007
- Consumers Union's Guide to State Security Freeze Laws
- Consumer groups recommend more action to President's Identity Theft Task Force
- Consumer Reports investigation warns your privacy is for sale
- CU calls for stronger "red flag" process to detect identity theft before it happens
- Consumer Groups Oppose Move to Pass Weak Data Security Bill
- CU supports requiring data brokers to abide fairly in contracts to Homeland Security
- Montana considers security freeze and other data privacy protections on July 14.
- Competing House bills offer different levels of protection on ID theft
- 26.5 million veterans at risk for identity theft
- Request that the VA inform veterans about the right to place a security freeze on their credit files
- Veterans in some states can freeze access to credit files to stop identity thieves
- Millions of veterans at risk for identity theft following data breach
- CU supports efforts to guard privacy of your tax returns (letter)
- House bill provides key protections against identity theft
- Consumer and Privacy Groups’ Letter to House Financial Services Committee Opposing H.R. 3997
- Proposed AZ identity theft safeguard too costly for consumers
- House Subcommittee Fails to Maintain Strong Protections for Many Consumers
- House panel guts security breach notice provision to curtail ID theft
- Forty-seven Attorneys General Submit Letter to Congress Regarding Information Security and Identity Theft
- Oversight Hearing on Data Security, Data Breach Notices, Privacy and Identity Theft
- Free credit reports available to consumers nationwide
- More states giving consumers power to freeze credit files
- Connecticut Governor signs identity theft bill into law
- 10 million Americans at risk of ID theft from data security breaches
- Illinois Governor signs identity theft protections into law
- Court orders more proceedings on California financial privacy law
- Identity theft victims get new protections in Washington state
- CU calls on Congress to enact strong identity theft safeguards
- Measures to prevent ID theft outlined for Senate hearing
- Article Highlights Need for ID Theft Protections
- Appeals court urged to uphold California’s financial privacy law
- Court Upholds California's Landmark Financial Privacy Law
- President Bush Signs Measure Today Providing ID Theft, Credit Report Protections; Yet Fails on Financial Privacy
- Congress Provides New ID Theft Protections But Fails on Financial Privacy
- Senate Fails to Give Consumers the Right to Control Their Private Financial Information
- You Mean We Don't Have A National Financial Privacy Law?
- California Identity Theft and Privacy Laws
- Crisis In Financial Privacy Prompts Launch Of FinancialPrivacyNow.org Campaign
- Governor Gray Davis Signs Landmark California Financial Privacy Law
- California Legislature Enacts Toughest Financial Privacy Protections In The Nation
- Major Breakthrough in California Campaign to Win Financial Privacy Protections
- 300,000 Signatures Collected for CA Consumer Privacy Measure
- Summary of California Senate Bill 1 (SB 1) on Financial Privacy
ID Theft
- Stop phishing
- Consumer groups urge FTC to support low cost, easy to use security freeze
- CU says Social Security numbers need protection
- Things to consider when deciding whether to place a Security Freeze
- State laws restricting private use of Social Security numbers
- FTC: 8.3 million identity theft victims in U.S.
- Federal legislators tell consumer reporting agencies to improve the security freeze
- ID theft freeze available nationwide on Nov. 1
- Frequently asked questions about security freeze
- Costly credit-monitoring services offer limited fraud protection
- Powerful ID theft protection goes nationwide
- TransUnion offering security freeze nationwide
- CR Poll: Americans want identity theft protections
- Summary of Social Security Number Privacy Legislation
- CU urges federal policymakers to restrict the use of Social Security numbers
- Protect your Social Security Number
- Congress considers new ID theft protection
- 39 states lets consumers freeze credit files
- No "free" lunch on some credit report sites
- Bills in the 110th Congress on notice of security breach and other data security issues
- CU praises Senate Identity theft legislation
- Consumers Union letter on S. 495
- Consumers Union letter on S. 1178
- President's ID Theft Task Force's Plan Falls Short
- Consumer groups support measure to require notice of security breaches
- More consumers can freeze credit files as of January 1, 2007
- Consumers Union's Guide to State Security Freeze Laws
- Consumer groups recommend more action to President's Identity Theft Task Force
- CU calls for stronger "red flag" process to detect identity theft before it happens
- Consumer Groups Oppose Move to Pass Weak Data Security Bill
- Montana considers security freeze and other data privacy protections on July 14.
- Competing House bills offer different levels of protection on ID theft
- 26.5 million veterans at risk for identity theft
- Request that the VA inform veterans about the right to place a security freeze on their credit files
- Veterans in some states can freeze access to credit files to stop identity thieves
- Millions of veterans at risk for identity theft following data breach
- CU supports efforts to guard privacy of your tax returns (letter)
- House bill provides key protections against identity theft
- Letter to the House supporting data security
- House panel votes to gut existing state identity theft laws
- Consumer and Privacy Groups’ Letter to House Financial Services Committee Opposing H.R. 3997
- Proposed AZ identity theft safeguard too costly for consumers
- Record penalty: A wake-up call for tougher ID theft protections?
- DATA bill will not effectively help deal with the very real threat of ID theft
- House Subcommittee Fails to Maintain Strong Protections for Many Consumers
- House panel guts security breach notice provision to curtail ID theft
- Forty-seven Attorneys General Submit Letter to Congress Regarding Information Security and Identity Theft
- S. 1789 will provide consumers with some significant protections from potential data breaches
- NJ Governor signs ID theft protections into law
- Oversight Hearing on Data Security, Data Breach Notices, Privacy and Identity Theft
- More states giving consumers power to freeze credit files
- Connecticut Governor signs identity theft bill into law
- 10 million Americans at risk of ID theft from data security breaches
- Illinois Governor signs identity theft protections into law
- Court orders more proceedings on California financial privacy law
- Consumers in most U.S. states can now get free credit reports
- State security freeze bills
- Identity theft victims get new protections in Washington state
- CU calls on Congress to enact strong identity theft safeguards
- Summary of federal bills in response to consumers’ escalating concerns relating to identity theft
- Senate Committee to Consider ID Theft Issues at April 13 Hearing
- Article Highlights Need for ID Theft Protections
- Letter to Sen. Nelson and Rep Markey in support of the Information Protection & Security Act
- Bank of America computer tape loss puts 1.2 million at risk of ID theft
- Stronger ID theft protections urged in wake of ChoicePoint Fraud
- Consumers Union's 2002 California Legislative Review
- 2002 California Legislative Review – Score Card
- SB 773: Financial Information Privacy Act
- Consumers Union and California Attorney General Co-Sponsor Bills to Curb Deceptive Sales Practices