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Two items came up on my radar this week regarding the protection our seniors and families need from the dangers of identity theft and Internet fraud.

The first was a report released by Federal Trade Commission (pdf) detailing consumer fraud and identity theft statistics. According to the report, Nevada ranks second in the nation for identity theft complaints. While we’re all used to reading about how Nevada ranks near the top or bottom for all sorts of negative or positive indicators, the number of complaints per 100,000 Nevadans is startling: 130.2. In other words, one Nevadan out of 768 was a reported victim of identity theft last year. It’s also interesting to note that Nevada ranks 6th in the nation for fraud complaints.

The second item was a story in the Reno Gazette-Journal about David Kazish, who is alleged to have defrauded more than $45,000 from at least 60 people from across the country. The story details how Kazish, based right here in Reno, collected cashier’s checks or money orders from bidders on eBay and then used check-cashing businesses, not banks, to cash the checks.

What can we do about this situation? For starters, it’s up to each of us to be responsible for our personal and financial information. The Better Business Bureau has some great information on how to protect your identity. A number of years ago, I was the victim of a crime that resulted in the loss of my wallet. I spent weeks cancelling and replacing credit cards and critical pieces of identification. Thankfully, beyond $40 dollars in cash, I suffered no financial loss. But I was lucky. Oftentimes, personal information and documents falling into the hands of the bad guys can means years of aggravation, loss of credit, and thousands and thousands of dollars in financial losses.

As for the Legislature, SB 347 (pdf), passed this last session addresses a wide variety of vulnerabilities for people and their identities. Of particular interest to me is the requirement that, starting October 1, 2008, individuals will be protected from businesses transferring personal information over the Internet without encryption protection- I’m continually amazed how uncommon this best practice is in the business and government world. The legislators who worked hard on this innovative legislation are to be congratulated for their efforts.

But identity theft and Internet fraud must be continually addressed as technology, and the tactics the bad guys employ, continue to evolve.

Having over ten years professional experience with the Internet and technology, I’m committed to working in the Legislature to protect our seniors and families from these crimes. In addition, we need to do our part to make sure our state doesn’t become a haven for Internet criminals. Our reputation as a safe place for families to live and for companies to do business is on the line.

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