Who is protecting you from Identity Theft?

Identity theft is the fastest growing crime and threatens all of us. The statistics are staggering:

• 10 million Americans a year are victims of identity theft;
• The average number of hours victims spend repairing the damage caused by identity theft is 330 hours;
• Victims lose an average of $1,820 to $14, 340 in wages dealing with their cases;
• Victims spend an average of $851 to $1378 in expenses related to their case;
• 11% of victims say identity theft has a negative impact on their abilities to get jobs;
• 70% of victims have trouble getting rid of (or never get rid of) negative information in their records; and
• 40% of victims experience stress in their family lives as a result of displaced anger and frustration over the identity theft.

With all of our sophistication in law enforcement and redundant laws, how is it that identity thieves continue their defiant and unabated predatory behavior?

Good question. A question that all Americans need to ask and demand an answer.

I've spent the better part of my professional life representing the rights of people and defending against those who prey upon our families and businesses. Identity theft threatens all of us - it impacts everything we do and is an imminent threat we cannot ignore.

As a private practicing attorney, I represented clients who were victimized by identity theft. And as a local prosecutor, I've seen firsthand the dramatic toll identity theft has on businesses and individuals. It is this real world experience that inspired me to run for public office in the first place.

Now as an elected official, my top priority continues to be the protection of the citizenry and the pursuit of justice. That's why I have lead the charge to address identity theft in Michigan. And it's exactly why I authored Michigan's Identity Theft Protection Act.

As Attorney General, you can count on me to use the full resources of the office to hunt down and prosecute those who wish to prey upon Michigan's citizens.

It's time to launch a new era in the fight against identity theft. As your Attorney General, I will immediately coordinate an effort among government agencies, especially states Attorneys General, to combat this crime.

Because the federal government has done virtually nothing to stop the proliferation of Identity Theft, states must come together to devise a strategic plan to ensure that we are more effective and efficient in the areas of identity theft awareness, prevention, detection, and prosecution.

States cannot combat this crime unilaterally - we need to have a national and ultimately an international strategic plan to address this crime.

That's why, as Michigan's Attorney General, I pledge to lead a nationwide effort to bring the National Attorneys General Associations together to devise a national strategic plan to protect families and businesses from the threat of identity theft.

The plan must be designed to strengthen the efforts of federal, state, and local law enforcement officers; to educate consumers and businesses on deterring, detecting, and defending against identity theft; to assist law enforcement officers in apprehending and prosecuting identity thieves; to increase the safeguards used by federal agencies and the private sector with respect to the personal data they hold; and to devise remedies for victims of identity theft who rightfully deserve their credit cleared and in many cases, their criminal record expunged of false charges.

Defeating criminals as they prey upon our citizens is no easy task. But throwing our hands up and giving in to these predators is not the answer. It's time to institute a culture of security in our country.

It's time for a strong leader to bring our states, our law enforcement, our businesses and our citizens together to ensure we are doing everything we can to stop identity theft.

The office of Michigan Attorney General is not a political post for a lifetime politician. It's a hands-on job for the people. We need to hire an experienced attorney, with real world experience practicing law and representing people. We need to hire an Attorney General who is ready to take on the responsibilities of the job on day one.

I will stand up for our Constitution our businesses and our families. Thank you for your support.

Sincerely,

Mike Bishop, Senate Majority Leader

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Paid for by Mike Bishop for Attorney General
P.O. Box 13292
Lansing, MI 48901