Source: https://www.ovcttac.gov/identitytheftnetwork/resource-map/connecticut/
Timestamp: 2018-12-13 22:43:31
Document Index: 619855918

Matched Legal Cases: ['§36', '§54', '§53', '§54', '§52', '§53', '§53', '§53', '§53', '§42', '§36', '§36']

Office for Victims of Crime Training and Technical Assistance Center - Connecticut
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Connecticut State Victim Resources:
Attorney General: 860-808-5318
Department of Consumer Protection: 800-842-2649
Online Self Help Forms for Identity Theft Victims in Connecticut
Statewide Legal Services of Connecticut, Inc.: 800-453-3320
All Connecticut consumers are allowed to place security freezes on their consumer credit reports to prevent new accounts from being opened in their names. Such a freeze enables the consumer to prevent anyone from looking at his/her credit file for the purpose of granting credit unless the consumer chooses to allow a particular business look at the information. To request a freeze, a consumer must request one in writing by certified mail or through any other secure method as authorized by the consumer reporting agency. The agencies may charge a fee of up to $10 for each security freeze, removal of such freeze or temporary lift of such freeze for a period of time and a fee of up to $12 for a temporary lift of such freeze for a specific party.
Credit reporting agencies must place the freeze within five business days of receiving the request, and within ten days, must provide the consumer with written confirmation of the freeze and a unique personal identification number, password or similar device to be used by the consumer when providing authorization for the release of the consumer’s credit report to a specific person or for a specific period of time or for permanent removal of the freeze. Requests for a temporary unlocking of the freeze must be completed within three business days.
Statute: §36a-701a: https://search.cga.state.ct.us/r/statute/dtsearch_form.asp
How to Place a Security Freeze: http://consumersunion.org/research/state_security_freeze_laws/#CT
Any person who believes he or she is a victim of identity theft may file a complaint with the law enforcement agency for the town in which he or she resides. The agency must accept the complaint, prepare a police report, give a copy of the report to the complainant, and investigate the alleged violation, coordinating if necessary with other law enforcement agencies.
Statute: §54-1n.
A person commits identity theft when he intentionally obtains, without permission, another person’s personal identifying information and uses it to illegally obtain or attempt to obtain money, credit, goods, services, property, or medical information. The punishment depends on the value of the money, credit, goods, property, or services stolen. If the value is over $10,000, it is considered first degree identity theft, which is a Class B felony punishable by up to twenty years imprisonment and/or a $15,000 fine. If the value is between $5000 and $10,000, it is second degree identity theft, a class C felony punishable by up to ten years imprisonment and/or a $10,000 fine. Below a value of $5000, it is third degree identity theft, a class D felony punishable by up to five years in prison and/or a $2000 fine. In addition, it is a class D felony for anyone to sell, give, or otherwise transfer another person’s personal identifying information to a third person knowing that the information was obtained without the owner’s authorization and the third person intends to use it for an unlawful purpose.
“Personal identifying information” includes any name, number, or other information that may be used, alone or with any other information, to identify a specific individual. It includes, but is not limited to, an individual’s name, date of birth, mother’s maiden name, motor vehicle operator’s license number, Social Security number, employee identification number, employer or taxpayer identification number, alien registration number, government passport number, health insurance identification number, demand deposit account number, savings account number, credit card number, debit card number or unique biometric data such as fingerprint, voice print, retina or iris image, or other unique physical representation.
Statute: §53a-129a: https://search.cga.state.ct.us/r/statute/dtsearch_form.asp
Statute: §54-1d: https://search.cga.state.ct.us/r/statute/dtsearch_form.asp
Connecticut law allows victims of identity theft to bring civil actions for damages against their offenders. The victim will be rewarded $1000 or treble damages, whichever is greater, in addition to costs and reasonable attorney’s fees. The statute of limitations to bring such a case is two years from the date when the violation is discovered or in the exercise of reasonable care should have been discovered.
Statute: §52-571h.
Payment Card Numbers:
It is a class A misdemeanor, punishable by up to one year in jail and/or a fine up to $2000, for any person to:
Make or cause to be made, either directly or indirectly, any false statement in writing, knowing it to be false and with intent that it be relied on, respecting his identity or that of any other person or his financial condition or that of any other person, for the purpose of procuring the issuance of a credit card.
Statute: §53a-128b: https://search.cga.state.ct.us/r/statute/dtsearch_form.asp
Take a credit card from the person, possession, custody, or control of another without the consent of the cardholder or issuer; or who, with knowledge that it has been so taken, receives the card with intent to use, sell, or transfer it to any other person.
Receive a credit card that he knows to have been lost, mislaid, or delivered under mistake as to the identity or address of the cardholder, and who retains possession, custody or control with intent to use, sell, or transfer it to any person other than the issuer or the cardholder.
If not the issuer, sell a credit card or purchase a credit card from someone other than the issuer.
Sign a credit card, if not the cardholder or any person authorized by him, with intent to defraud the issuer, a participating party, or a person providing money, goods, services or anything else of value, or any other person.
It is a class D felony for a person to:
During a twelve-month period, receive credit cards issued in the names of two or more people, which he has reason to know were taken or retained under circumstances that constitute credit card theft.
Statute: §53a-128c: https://search.cga.state.ct.us/r/statute/dtsearch_form.asp
It is unlawful for any person, with intent to defraud the issuer, a participating party, or a person providing money, goods, services or anything else of value, or any other person, to:
Use for the purpose of obtaining money, goods, services or anything else of value a credit card obtained or retained in fraudulently or a credit card that he knows is forged, expired or revoked; or
Obtain money, goods, services, or anything else of value by representing without consent of the cardholder that he is the holder of a specified card or by representing that he is the holder of a specified card or by representing that he is the holder of a card and such card has not in fact been issued. Violations are a class A misdemeanor if the value of all money, goods, services and other things of value obtained in violation of this subsection does not exceed $500 in any six-month period. If it exceeds $500, it is a class D felony.
Statute: §53a-128d: https://search.cga.state.ct.us/r/statute/dtsearch_form.asp
State law prohibits the use and possession with intent to use of a scanning device or re-encoder that is used to obtain or record encoded information from the magnetic strip of a payment card without permission of the cardholder to defraud the authorized cardholder, the issuer of the card, or a merchant. Scanning devices are defined as a scanner, reader, or other electronic device that is used to access, read, scan, obtain, memorize, or store, temporarily or permanently, information encoded on the magnetic strip or computer chip of a credit card. A re-encoder is an electronic device that places encoded information from the magnetic strip or computer chip of a credit card onto the magnetic strip or stripe of a different card. Violators are subject to one to ten years in prison, and a fine of up to $10,000. Possession of a scanning device or re-encoder under circumstances showing intent to violate the law is a class A misdemeanor.
Statute: §53-388a: https://search.cga.state.ct.us/r/statute/dtsearch_form.asp
With certain exceptions, state law prohibits individuals and businesses from publicly disclosing Social Security numbers (SSNs). The prohibition does not prevent the numbers from being collected, used, or released as required by state or federal law or used for internal verification or administrative purposes. However, the law prohibits any person, firm, corporation, or other entity, other than the state or its political subdivisions, from:
Intentionally communicating or otherwise making available to the general public an individual’s Social Security number;
Printing anyone’s Social Security number on any card that the person must use to access the person or entity’s products or services;
Requiring anyone to transmit his Social Security number over the Internet, unless the connection is secure or the number is encrypted; or
Requiring anyone to use his Social Security number to access an Internet web site, unless a password or unique personal identification number or other authentication is also required to access it.
The penalty for willful violations is up to a $100 fine for the first offense, up to a $500 fine for a second offense, and up to a $1,000 fine or six months in prison for each subsequent offense.
Statute: §42-470: https://search.cga.state.ct.us/r/statute/dtsearch_form.asp
In addition, any person who collects Social Security numbers in the course of business must create a privacy protection policy which must be published or publicly displayed. “Publicly displayed” includes, but is not limited to, posting on an Internet web page. The policy must: (1) Protect the confidentiality of Social Security numbers, (2) prohibit unlawful disclosure of Social Security numbers, and (3) limit access to Social Security numbers. This does not apply to any agency or political subdivision of the state. Violators will be subject to a civil penalty of up to $500 for each violation, provided that the penalty may not exceed $500,000 for any single event. It is not a violation if it was unintentional.
Any person in possession of personal information of another person must safeguard the data, computer file and documents containing the information from misuse by third parties. In addition, a person must destroy, erase, or make unreadable such data, files, and documents prior to disposal. “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. Violators will be subject to a civil penalty of up to $500 for each violation, provided that the penalty may not exceed $500,000 for any single event. It is not a violation if it was unintentional.
State law requires a person who conducts business in the state and who, in the ordinary course of such person’s business, owns licenses or maintains computerized data that includes personal information, to disclose any breach of security to any resident whose personal information was, or is reasonably believed to have been, accessed by an authorized person. “Breach of security” means unauthorized access to or acquisition of electronic files, media, databases, or computerized data containing personal information when access to the personal information has not been secured by encryption or by any other method or technology that renders the personal information unreadable or unusable.
Personal information is defined as an individual’s first name or first initial and last name in combination with any one or more of the following data: Social Security number; driver’s license Connecticut – 5 number or state identification card number; or an account number, credit or debit card number, in combination with any required security code, access code, or password that would permit access to the individual’s financial account. It does not include publicly available information that is lawfully made available to the public from federal, state, or local government records. The disclosure shall be made without unreasonable delay, consistent with the legitimate needs of law enforcement, and completion of an investigation to determine the nature or scope of the incident, to identify the individuals affected, or to restore the reasonable integrity of the data system. Notification is not required if, after an appropriate investigation and consultation with relevant federal, state and local agencies responsible for law enforcement, the person reasonably determines that the breach will not likely result in harm to the individuals whose personal information has been acquired and accessed.
Notification can be provided by mail, telephone, or e-mail. If the cost of providing regular notice would exceed $250,000, the amount of people to be notified exceeds 500,000, or the agency does not have sufficient contact information to provide written or electronic notice, substitute notice may be provided. When substitute notice is used, it must consist of all of the following, as applicable: e-mail notice, conspicuous posting on the person’s web site, and notification to major statewide media, including newspapers, radio and television.
Statute: §36a-701b: https://search.cga.state.ct.us/r/statute/dtsearch_form.asp
Credit Blocking:
Statute: §36a-699f.