Bloomberg Makes ID Theft a Campaign Issue

Perhaps experiencing identity theft firsthand in 2007 made New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg more invested in stemming the tide of fraud and identity theft.

After all, it isn’t often politicians are seen campaigning for office with a glossy pamphlet outlining their efforts to fight identity theft. Yet as New York City’s Nov. 3rd mayoral election approaches, Mayor Bloomberg this week announced a strategy aimed at fraud prevention and victim assistance.

Promising to protect New Yorkers from the “fastest growing crime in the country,” Bloomberg’s campaign site touted planned “tougher measures and public outreach” in an effort to make it harder for criminals to access information, and easier for victims to clear their names.

“While we’ll never be able to completely eliminate the threat of identity theft, we can take some basic steps to make it as rare as possible,” stated Mayor Bloomberg. “Limiting the number of opportunities for would be thieves and making it easier for the victims to get back on their feet are just two common sense ways we can lessen the impact of identity theft.”


His plan [pdf] proposes:

•    “Best Practices” for businesses. The city’s Department of Consumer Affairs (DCA) is to develop “standards and business practices regarding the taking, retention, storage and disposal” of information. The DCA will issue warnings and violations when necessary.

•    A local law requiring businesses to post signs warning people against using public computers and wireless Internet to make purchases or send personal or financial information.

•    Upgrading city databases to support encryption, and working to make sure any personal identifying information stored on portable devices is encrypted, password-protected, endowed with the “capability of remote deletion of data.”


Bloomberg also aims to provide better direct services to victims, helping them “through the maze” to clear their names.

Bloomberg entered that maze in 2007 after a suspect managed to transfer $10,000 electronically from Bloomberg’s bank account. Another man also tried to use forged checks to steal $420,000 from the mayor’s account.


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