What is the Red Flags rule?
Red Flags Rule is a system of identity theft developed by the Federal Commission (FTC) in the United States. According to the rule, a financial institution and people or companies that could be considered as creditors must take a number of steps to identify and prevent identity theft. The aim of the Red Flags rule is to protect consumer safety by requires people in possession of identification information and private financial records have a system to solve identity theft. The company could use a generic template or develop their own. The program needs four components. The first is to identify any red symptoms, activities or events that could indicate that someone is trying to commit identity. These may vary according to business and industry. The company must also have a plan to detect these red flags.
Some examples may include suspicious documents, unusual account activities, account queriesor warning from credit agents. There may also be concerns specific to a particular business, such as evidence that someone uses falsified information about insurance to obtain health care or inability to provide proof of ownership of a house or vehicle before ordering services.
Theprevention and action plan must be part of the program according to the Red Flags rule to ensure that the company takes quick steps if identity is suspected and is working to close apparent gaps. Finally, the company must commit to updating the plan. Updates should include new information and policies and must occur regularly. This shows that the company maintains a step with identity theft and has plans to solve them.
Identification of financial institutions, such as banks and credit unions, easy to determine what kinds of creditors are subject to the Red Flags rule is somewhat more complicated.The rule includes people like veterinarians who can provide credit services or take payment plans. Most businesses that allow people to pay later for services could be classified as creditors, from public services that bill from accountants who send their clients to their clients. The scope of the Red Flags rule has led to several delays in recovery, because industrial lobbyists claimed that compliance will be difficult for small businesses, especially those that are managed by self -employed people.