Ohlhausen Directing FTC to Take 'Fresh Look' at ID Theft

Acting FTC Chairman Maureen Ohlhausen said Wednesday she wants the agency to take a "fresh look" at identity theft to improve efforts to tackle the problem. During a daylong FTC event, Ohlhausen said she wants the agency to do more research on the issue, with assistance from academia, consumer advocates, industry and governments, to provide a foundation that addresses harmful conduct. She said the FTC needs to share information and coordinate cybersecurity efforts with other agencies and state governments. She noted the agency's work with the Small Business Administration to launch a website to help companies deal with cyberthreats and data breaches. Ohlhausen wants more public-private partnerships and cited FTC work with Equifax, Experian and TransUnion to make it easier for consumers to get free credit reports. FTC economist Keith Anderson cited 2014 data from the Bureau of Justice Statistics that said 17.6 million Americans 16 and older were ID theft victims. He said synthetic ID theft is a recent trend, in which thieves construct a "pseudo individual" using information from several people. Sean McCleskey, a retired Secret Service agent who works for the University of Texas-Austin's Center for Identity, said thieves take "bits and pieces" of data -- maybe a fake date of birth, a real Social Security number, or a real or fake address -- making it more difficult to investigate and to notify potential victims. Experts said thieves steal people's credit card and financial information and medical and tax data. Danny Rogers, CEO of Terbium Labs, said ID theft undermines trust in the internet.