FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

February 16, 2006
Contact: PAUL PERILLIE, MAJORITY CAUCUS AIDE -- #(631) 854-4500

Social Insecurity
Social Security Numbers Viewable Online Inspires Cooper to Terminate Identity Theft Crimes

Putting personal privacy concerns over partisan politics, Suffolk County Majority Leader Jon Cooper (D-Huntington), along with Legislator Ed Romaine (R-Center Moriches), Acting Suffolk County Clerk Judith Pascale and Nassau County Clerk Maureen O’Connell, held a press conference this morning to propose new measures to prevent identity theft after it was discovered earlier this week that personal information, such as social security numbers, was inadvertently viewable on the County Clerk’s website.

Many banks, mortgage companies, financing companies, title companies, and other entities list personal information, such as social security numbers and dates of birth, on mortgage documents recorded in the county clerks’ offices. Under current state law, county clerks do not have the authority to reject documents or redact personal information. Such personal information is easily obtained via a Freedom of Information Law request for filed mortgage documents. There is no state or county requirement that any of this information be included on mortgage documents.

The county legislators and county clerks called on the New York State Legislature to adopt legislation introduced in the State Assembly by Assemblywoman Ginny Fields and in the State Senate by Senator Ken LaValle that will authorize and empower county clerks to reject any document presented that contains personal information, which is not necessary under state filing requirements. The proposed legislation would also make it illegal, punishable by a fine of $500 per incident, for any entity to present to the county clerk for filing documents that include non-required personal information.

"I am a victim of identity theft," said Legislator Romaine. "It is important for us to do whatever we can to prevent others from becoming victims."

"The laws have not kept pace with current technology," said Legislator Cooper. "We need to enact new protections that will safeguard county residents in the 21st century."

The two legislators are also co-sponsoring a memorializing resolution that asks the State Legislature to adopt this important piece of legislation. In addition, Legislators Cooper and Romaine will be co-sponsoring a resolution to create a Suffolk County Identify Theft Task Force. This task force, which will include representatives from the Police Department, District Attorney’s Office, the County Clerk’s Office, the Chief Information Officer, County Legislature, Attorney General’s Office, and the New York State Mortgage Bankers Association, will make recommendations to prevent identity theft in Suffolk County and suggest laws or regulations to achieve this goal.

Legislators Cooper and Romaine will also propose an increase in resources for the Suffolk County Police and District Attorney in the 2007 Operating Budget specifically for targeting and preventing identity theft.

With the number of identity theft incidents on the rise, these three proposals will go a long way in the prevention of future identity theft cases caused by the use of unnecessary personal information obtained through public records.