With identity theft in Wisconsin becoming a growing problem for many of the state's residents, Gov. Jim Doyle unveiled a new initiative Thursday cracking down on identity criminals.
Calling for the creation of the Office of Privacy Protection, the governor, along with state Sen. Jon Erpenbach, D-Middleton, said identity-theft incidences have increased 20 percent and are costing state businesses and consumers $570 million annually, a statement read.
Identity theft is an emerging problem for families and businesses in Wisconsin,\ Doyle said. ""With a social security number and date of birth, a criminal can send a middle-class family thousands of dollars into debt—and they would not even know it. I'm launching a crackdown on identity theft that will toughen penalties against the perpetrators and educate the public on how to protect themselves.""
According to Kelly Johnson, Erpenbach's legislative assistant, the OPP is a combination of the Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection and the Department of Financial Institutions.
Johnson said that Erpenbach has long championed personal security issues.
""He's always been a big supporter of identity-theft prevention, privacy protections and has done a lot with the do-not-call list,"" Johnson said. ""He's been intimately involved and [this] has always been a big concern of his, and he thought [it] was a perfect opportunity to—with the new Office of Privacy Protection—help those concerns.""
Doyle also proposed a new initiative increasing penalties for identity criminals. He supported legislation elevating identity crime to a Class E felony, carrying with it up to 15 years in prison and $50,000 in fines.
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