Identity thieves seeking admission to your personal data usually start with readily available social security numbers. A new bill seeks to limit that exposure.rnrn
"The request for a Social Security number is now often made as if it were the most natural thing in the world, when this number is actually the passport to your identity," said California Assemblyman Joseph Simitian (D-Palo Alto), who is sponsoring a bill that limits the ways universities and employers can use Social Security numbers.rnrn
Over 160,000 cases of identity theft were reported in 2002, spawning other measures designed to protect consumers against this increasingly popular fraud. One statute gives California residents the right to freeze their credit files until they unlock them with a code. Another bill introduced recently would have credit-granting companies jump through more hoops to ensure applicants' identities.rnrn
Steve Allen, who had his identity stolen and now works as a volunteer for the Identity Theft Resource Center, says tougher rules to protect Social Security numbers are sorely needed.rnrn
"The Social Security number is so abused in today's world that it's a very, very poor way to identify anyone," Allen said. "They need to come up with some other way."rnrn
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