Identity Theft strikes a new victim every 2 seconds. With more than 15 million victims already on the books, and identity theft is the fastest growing crime in America, the time for Congress to act is already overdue.

Here is a basic plan to stop identity thieves in their tracks, put them in jail, and protect consumers from harm:

• Make the use of Social Security numbers by businesses illegal.
• Impose mandatory stiff prison sentences for identity theft. Send the clear message that stealing personal information is the same as stealing a car or robbing a person on the street.
• Require Credit Bureaus to adhere to a Consumer Bill of Rights that will empower consumers to take control of their credit records and protect themselves from identity thieves.
• Require financial institutions to meet national standards for fraud alerts to notify at-risk consumers, and to trigger protective procedures when a fraud alert exists.
• Establish a National Credit Registry to validate legitimate credit inquiries and stop the thieves from accessing consumer credit files.
• Require verbal authorization for any transaction that impacts a consumer credit file.
• Establish tough federal standards for lost or stolen data. It is essential to make financial institutions more accountable for credit files under their control.