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<br />CONSENT# , \ <br /> <br />ADOPTION OF IDENTITY THEFT PREVENTION PROGRAM <br />By: Diana Lund, Finance Officer <br /> <br />Background: <br /> <br />A new Federal Rule, known as the "Red Flags Rule", requires local governments to generate and <br />follow a written plan to alert and stop those who attempt to commit fraud by using another <br />person's identity. 'Per the Federal regulations, the City of Ramsey is required to establish an <br />Identity Theft Prevention Program ("Program") designed to detect, prevent and mitigate identity <br />theft. Cities, such as Ramsey, must adopt this plan, due to the possibility of identity theft in <br />relation to the City's utility billing accounts. The identity theft (which is a fraudulent behavior) <br />involves obtaining the benefit of utility service using someone else's identifying information. <br /> <br />The Program must be adopted by November 1,2008 and the Program must include the <br />identification of Red Flags that are relevant to the City's customer accounts, the detection of Red <br />Flags, and the mitigation of and/or response to detected Red Flags. <br /> <br />A copy of the Identity Theft Prevention Program is attached. 'The City is not proposing to change <br />any of the utility billing processes currently in place, such as obtaining additional information <br />such as social security numbers or drivers licenses. The City does not want to be held <br />responsible for the collection and storage of such personal information. <br /> <br />As Opus 21 is contracted to handle, the City's utility billing services, they are expected to. adhere <br />to all of the Red Flag policies established in the City's Program. <br /> <br />Funding Source: <br />None required <br /> <br />Council Action: <br /> <br />Adoption ofIdentity Theft Prevention Program. <br />Reviewed By: () <br /> <br />City Administrator: ~ ~~ <br />Finance Officer <br /> <br />CC: 10/28/08 <br /> <br />-99- <br />