Such receipts will thwart the efforts of dumpster divers, those individuals who dig through public and private trash bins in hopes of finding any slip of paper with your personal information, such as your social security number or credit card account number. According to a briefing report to congress in 1998, officials at VISA USA, Inc. and MasterCard International, Inc. indicated that the overall fraud losses from their member banks was several hundred million of dollars each year. Because of minimal liability actions for consumers, and because many fraud cases are too hard to investigate and prosecute, retailers and banks must often eat the cost of fraud. Legislation for the prevention of identity theft is being enacted in several states, advancing toward a national movement against fraud. You can find out if your state is moving on this issue by researching your state s legislative sessions.
Most states now have web sites so constituents can be more aware of legislative activities.
Call, write, or email your representative and let him or her know what you would like to see done. Until fraud is wiped out completely Until laws to prevent fraud are mandated in your state, you can take simple actions to protect yourself against credit identify theft. Always take credit card, debit card and ATM receipts with you when you leave a cash register. Never throw them in a public trash container. Tear them up or shred them at home when you no longer need them.