For Immediate Release
January 30, 2006
Please Contact: Michael Bloom, 617-722-1650

State Senators Jarrett Barrios and Patricia Jehlen Join Fellow Legislators and Consumer Advocates to Call for Greater Identity Theft Protections

Boston- In response to news that the Boston Globe and Worcester Telegram and Gazette mistakenly released customers’ financial data, Senator Patricia Jehlen (D-Somerville) joined Senator Jarrett Barrios, Representative Michael Costello, Representative William Straus and consumer advocates in calling for greater protections for residents of the Commonwealth from identity theft. 

“It was sobering to learn that my personal financial data and that of hundreds of thousands of other Globe subscribers had been compromised by the Boston Globe’s mismanagement of data,” said Jehlen.  “It seems to take a disaster, or near-disaster, like this to get attention for the serious problem of identity theft.   I hope this event leads to immediate passage of comprehensive legislation.”

“Not enough has been done to protect the elderly and others from the growing crime of identity theft," said Senator Jarrett T. Barrios. "We must get tough on the criminals that victimize unsuspecting consumers but we also need to get to the root of the problem.  Businesses should be required to notify customers if their financial or medical information has been compromised.  Allowing people to place a security freeze on their financial data is far and away the best way to protect consumers from identity thieves.”

In the light of the Boston Globe’s announcement that their subscribers’ financial data had been compromised, legislators and consumer advocates called for the passage of legislation that requires mandatory notification requirements for businesses and the option for consumers to place a “security freeze” on their credit information blocking access to anyone who does not have their explicit approval.

Jehlen urged that legislation protect people not only from consumer problems of identity theft, but also from problems in the criminal justice system.  She asked that the bill be amended to include provisions from her bill, H1441, which she filed after learning about a Somerville constituent who was arrested twice for crimes committed by a woman who had stolen her identity. 

 

 

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