Warning: Voter Registration Identity Theft Telephone Scam
by Connie Brooks
As election day approaches the candidates are hard at work campaigning for the presidency, and identity thieves are hard at work campaigning for your personal information.
The Connecticut branch of the Better Business Bureau and the FTC put out this warning:
The Federal Trade Commission, (FTC) the nation’s federal consumer protection agency, reports scammers are using the pretext of requiring personal information to be registered to vote or to ensure your registration information is correct. The con involves unsolicited contact from people who claim they need your Social Security Number (SSN) or other personal information.
So, if you get a phone call or an email from someone who claims they need your social security number, or other personal identifying information to be sure you are registered to vote – it’s a scam.
Legitimate voter registration officials will contact you in person, and give you a “Voter Registration Form” to fill out. They will never ask you for your social security number, or other personal information.
If you are contacted by a would-be identity thief, hang up the phone and report them to the FTC.
You can contact the FTC online (click here) or by phone at 1-877-382-4357.
If you need to register to vote, you can use the official U.S. Election Assistance Commission’s National Voter Registration Form.
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September 3rd, 2008 at 19:48
On June 10, 2008 the state of Connecticut passed a law concerning the confidentiality of Social Security Number, a driver’s license number, a state identification card number, an account number, a credit or debit card number, a passport number, an alien registration number or a health insurance identification number. It states any person in possession of such information must protect the confidentiality of such numbers, prohibit unlawful disclosure of such numbers and to limit access to such numbers.
The violation of the above could result in a civil penalty in the amount of 500.00 for each violation. The penalty can not exceed five hundred thousand dollars. I have included a copy of the entire Public Act
Substitute House Bill No. 5658
Public Act No. 08-167
AN ACT CONCERNING THE CONFIDENTIALITY OF SOCIAL SECURITY NUMBERS.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Assembly convened:
Section 1. (NEW) (Effective October 1, 2008) (a) Any person in possession of personal information of another person shall safeguard the data, computer files and documents containing the information from misuse by third parties, and shall destroy, erase or make unreadable such data, computer files and documents prior to disposal.
(b) Any person who collects Social Security numbers in the course of business shall create a privacy protection policy which shall be published or publicly displayed. For purposes of this subsection, “publicly displayed” includes, but is not limited to, posting on an Internet web page. Such policy shall: (1) Protect the confidentiality of Social Security numbers, (2) prohibit unlawful disclosure of Social Security numbers, and (3) limit access to Social Security numbers.
(c) As used in this section, “personal information” means information capable of being associated with a particular individual through one or more identifiers, including, but not limited to, a Social Security number, a driver’s license number, a state identification card number, an account number, a credit or debit card number, a passport number, an alien registration number or a health insurance identification number, and does not include publicly available information that is lawfully made available to the general public from federal, state or local government records or widely distributed media.
(d) For persons who hold a license, registration or certificate issued by a state agency other than the Department of Consumer Protection, this section shall be enforceable only by such other state agency pursuant to such other state agency’s existing statutory and regulatory authority.
(e) Any person or entity that violates the provisions of this section shall be subject to a civil penalty of five hundred dollars for each violation, provided such civil penalty shall not exceed five hundred thousand dollars for any single event. It shall not be a violation of this section if such violation was unintentional.
(f) The provisions of this section shall not apply to any agency or political subdivision of the state.
(g) Any civil penalties received pursuant to this section shall be deposited into the privacy protection guaranty and enforcement account established pursuant to section 19 of substitute senate bill 30 of the current session.
Approved June 10, 2008
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