ApriL 11, 2007The Honorable George W. Bush, President of the United States, The White House, Washington, D.C.
Dear Mr. President:
By establishing the President's Task Force on Identity Theft by Executive
Order 13402 on May 10, 2006, you launched a new era in the fight against
identity theft. As you recognized, identity theft exacts a heavy financial and
emotional toll from its victims, and it severely burdens our economy. You
called for a coordinated approach among government agencies to vigorously
combat this crime. Your charge to us was to craft a strategic plan aiming
to make the federal government's efforts more effective and efficient in the
areas of identity theft awareness, prevention, detection, and prosecution. To
meet that charge, we examined the tools law enforcement can use to prevent,
investigate, and prosecute identity theft crimes; to recover the proceeds of
these crimes; and to ensure just and effective punishment of identity thieves.
We also surveyed current education efforts by government agencies and
the private sector on how individuals and corporate citizens can protect
personal data. And because government must help reduce, rather than
exacerbate, incidents of identity theft, we worked with many federal agencies
to determine how the government can increase safeguards to better secure the
personal data that it and private businesses hold. Like you, we spoke to many
citizens whose lives have been uprooted by identity theft, and heard their
suggestions on ways to help consumers guard against this crime and lessen the
burdens of their recovery. We conducted meetings, spoke with stakeholders,
and invited public comment on key issues.
The views you expressed in the Executive Order are widely shared. There
is a consensus that identity theft's damage is widespread, that it targets all
demographic groups, that it harms both consumers and businesses, and that
its effects can range far beyond financial harm. We were pleased to learn that
many federal departments and agencies, private businesses, and universities
are trying to create a culture of security, although some have been faster than
others to construct systems to protect personal information.
There is no quick solution to this problem. But, we believe that a coordinated
strategic plan can go a long way toward stemming the injuries caused by
identity theft and, we hope, putting identity thieves out of business. Taken as
a whole, the recommendations that comprise this strategic plan are 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; and to increase the safeguards employed by
federal agencies and the private sector with respect to the personal data with
which they are entrusted.
Thank you for the privilege of serving on this Task Force. Our work is
ongoing, but we now have the honor, under the provisions of your Executive
Order, of transmitting the report and recommendations of the President's
Task Force on Identity Theft.
Very truly yours,
Alberto R. Gonzales, ChairmanAttorney General
U.S. Department of Justice logo
Deborah Platt Majoras, Co-ChairmanChairman, Federal Trade Commission
United States of America Federal Trade Commission logo
