[LINK] ID Theft

[stephen at melbpc.org.au]

> website http://www.accc.gov.au will currently find 5 Telstra reports on
> another matter, from 2002.  Zero assistance for Australians with a huge
> and immediate problem if they are unlucky enough to suffer an ID Theft.

Regarding ID theft, the Attorney General did a fairly comprehensive report
in Feb 2004, including in-general 'victim-driven' advice re steps to take:

http://www.ag.gov.au/agd/www/Ncphome.nsf/Page/41EA80A3A81A49D8CA256E1A0002
A738?OpenDocument

Our Police are well along on the Identity Crime case and though Gov Dpts
appear keen, perhaps dancing in the dark re co-ordination of help for id 
theft. One hopes Aussie citizens may soon have one-stop-shop-websites to 
report id theft immediately ... perhaps one that red-flags other systems.
 
http://www.acpr.gov.au/research_idcrime.asp

The Police Commissioners' Conference Australasian Identity Crime Working 
Party (AICWP), which is chaired by the ACPR and consists of 
representatives from all Australasian jurisdictions and the Australian 
Crime Commission, has prepared a detailed workplan to facilitate the 
coordinated implementation of the Australasian  Identity Crime Policing 
Strategy. 

Policing  is required to deal with an increased incidence of  identity 
crime, much of which is facilitated by Information and Communications 
Technology and the Internet. For example, skimming is a growing problem. 
It involves the use of technology that facilitates identity theft by 
reading and capturing personal information from the magnetic strip of 
credit and debit cards. Separate steps are being taken to develop a 
national approach to this issue. 

Given the electronic nature of many identity-related crimes, such as the 
hacking of databases or the use of malicious code to access personal 
information, the Australian High Tech Crime Centre (AHTCC) also has a 
role to play in this area. 

In addition, the Australian Crime Commission, as tasked by its Board is 
undertaking a Special Intelligence Operation on Identity Crime. 

Australasian policing recognises the importance of working with a range 
of other bodies in this area, both here and overseas, in order to prevent 
and reduce identity crime and assist the victims of identity theft. The 
AICWP continues to monitor important whole-of-government initiatives in 
this area. Its members work with document issuing agencies, financial 
institutions, and other government agencies to enhance current processes, 
documents and procedures. There is also liaison with consumer protection 
bodies and victim support agencies to address a range of victim issues. 
Identity crime presents multi-faceted and multi-agency challenges. 
Opportunities are sought to interface policing response strategies with 
those being developed elsewhere, particularly within the Commonwealth 
arena, the private sector, the community, and the international law 
enforcement arena.
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Cheers all ..
Stephen Loosley
Victoria, Australia