Preventing Identity Theft

As a victim of identity theft myself, I am following with more than usual interest the Times editorials and news items on the subject as well as pending state and federal legislation regarding financial privacy (“Protect Consumer Privacy,” editorial, May 2). Some of the problem, however, is caused by garden-variety poor practices on the part of the banking industry that could be fixed in an instant without any elaborate legislative scheme.

Specifically, the perpetrator in my case had his or her fraud facilitated by a major bank that allowed the thief to change my address on the telephone, gaining easy and full access to my checks, account information and other pertinent data. Until this occurred, I had the silly notion that any time I changed my address I had to write to the financial institution, which would verify my account number and signature. Depositor, beware!

BARBARA H. BERGEN

Los Angeles

*

One way to reduce identity theft would be to require that post office change-of-address forms be handed to postal clerks with proof of ID and then stamped by them, instead of simply allowing them to be mailed in with a signature that may not be genuine. People who are moving could do this at any post office (including their new one), and their old post office would know it was verified because of the postal service stamp. This would certainly cut down on fraud and illegal misdirection of mail by those attempting to get other people’s checks, credit cards, etc.

ANDY PEARLMAN

Marina del Rey