Initial Notice Requesting Public Comment and Announcing Public Workshop. This notice seeks public comments to inform the discussion that will take place at the workshop. Written comments and requests to participate as panelist in the workshop must be submitted on or before September 21, 2000. 330 Independence Ave., S.W., Washington, D.C. 20201. The purpose of this meeting is to identify the means to prevent identity theft in governmental and private transactions.
Identity theft is on the rise.
In Fiscal Year 1999 alone, the SSA OIG Fraud Hotline received approximately 62,000 allegations involving SSN misuse. These are very concerning statistics. It is imperative that SSNs remain secure with the individual SSN holder. However, the proliferate use of the SSN as an identifier not only by private entities and corporations, but also by medical providers and government entities, reduces the security of SSNs and increases the likelihood of illegal SSN use for purposes of committing identity theft. The expansion and popularity of the Internet to effect commercial transactions has increased the opportunities to commit crimes involving identity theft.