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Advanced Search Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System The Federal Reserve, the central bank of the United States, provides the nation with a safe, flexible, and stable monetary and financial system. About the Fed News & Events Monetary Policy Supervision & Regulation Payment Systems Home > News & Events > Press Releases Joint Press Release October 31, 2007 Agencies Issue Final Rules on Identity Theft Red Flags and Notices of Address Discrepancy Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation Federal Trade Commission National Credit Union Administration Office of the Comptroller of the Currency Office of Thrift Supervision For immediate release Share Washington -- The federal financial institution regulatory agencies and the Federal Trade Commission have sent to the Federal Register for publication final rules on identity theft “red flags” and address discrepancies. The final rules implement sections 114 and 315 of the Fair and Accurate Credit Transactions Act of 2003. According to a report of the President’s Identity Theft Task Force, identity theft (a fraud attempted or committed using identifying information of another person without authority), results in billions of dollars in losses each year to individuals and businesses. The final rules require each financial institution and creditor that holds any consumer account, or other account for which there is a reasonably foreseeable risk of identity theft, to develop and implement an Identity Theft Prevention Program (Program) for combating identity theft in Economic Research Data Consumers & Communities connection with new and existing accounts. The Program must include reasonable policies and procedures for detecting, preventing, and mitigating identity theft and enable a financial institution or creditor to: Identify relevant patterns, practices, and specific forms of activity that are “red flags” signaling possible identity theft and incorporate those red flags into theProgram; Detect red flags that have been incorporated into the Program; Respond appropriately to any red flags that are detected to prevent and mitigate identity theft; and Ensure the Program is updated periodically to reflect changes in risks from identity theft. The agencies also issued guidelines to assist financial institutions and creditors in developing and implementing a Program, including a supplement that provides examples of red flags. The final rules also require credit and debit card issuers to develop policies and procedures to assess the validity of a request for a change of address that is followed closely by a request for an additional or replacement card. In addition, the final rules require users of consumer reports to develop reasonable policies and procedures to apply when they receive a notice of address discrepancy from a consumer reporting agency. The attached final rulemaking is issued by the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, the Federal Trade Commission, the National Credit Union Administration, the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, and the Office of Thrift Supervision. The final rules are effective on January 1, 2008. Covered financial institutions and creditors must comply with the rules by November 1, 2008. The final rules are attached and will be published shortly. Federal Register Notice 378 KB PDF | TEXT Media Contacts: Federal Reserve Board FDIC FTC NCUA OCC OTS 202-4522955 202-898David Barr 6992 202-326Frank Dorman 2674 703-518Cherie Umbel 6330 Bryan 202-874Hubbard 5770 William 202-906Ruberry 6677 Susan Stawick Last Update: October 31, 2007 BOARD OF GOVERNORS of the FEDERAL RESERVE SYSTEM About the Fed News & Events Monetary Policy Supervision & Regulation Payment Systems Economic Research Data Consumers & Communities Financial Stability TOOLS AND INFORMATION STAY CONNECTED Contact Publications Freedom of Information (FOIA) Office of Inspector General Budget & Performance | Audit No FEAR Act Español Website Policies | Privacy Program Accessibility BOARD OF GOVERNORS of the FEDERAL RESERVE SYSTEM 20th Street and Constitution Avenue N.W., Washington, DC 20551