This program is established in order to comply with Wisconsin
Statutes Chapter 19, Subchapter IV, and to the extent applicable the
Federal Fair and Accurate Credit Transactions Act of 2003. This program
is intended to establish reasonable policies and procedures to:
A. Develop rules of conduct for Town employees who are involved in collecting,
maintaining, using, providing access to, sharing or archiving personally
identifiable information;
B. Ensure that Town employees know their duties and responsibilities
relating to protecting personal privacy, including applicable state
and federal laws;
C. Identify relevant indications that an identity theft is being perpetrated
("red flags") for new and existing covered accounts and incorporate
those red flags into the program;
D. Detect red flags that have been incorporated into the program;
E. Respond appropriately to any red flags that are detected to prevent
and mitigate identity theft; and
F. Update the program periodically to reflect changes in risks to customers
or to the safety and soundness of the Town from identity theft.
Employees at the Town shall observe the following rules of conduct
concerning personally identifiable information. These rules shall
apply to any information that identifies a specific person by address,
telephone number, social security number, date of birth, government
passport number, employer or taxpayer identification number or unique
electronic identification number. Personally identifiable information
does not include a person's name for purposes of this rule.
A. Agendas and minutes. Except when deemed reasonably necessary to apprise
the public of the subject of a meeting or actions taken, personally
identifiable information shall not be shown on meeting agendas or
in meeting minutes.
B. Internal distribution. Except when deemed reasonably necessary to
advise public officials, Town staff, employees or agents, personally
identifiable information shall not be distributed internally.
C. External disclosures. Except as required by the Wisconsin public
records laws or other applicable laws, personally identifiable information
shall not be released in response to public records requests.
D. Public information. Except when deemed reasonably necessary to properly
advise the public, personally identifiable information shall not be
disclosed on the Town's website, in the Town's newsletter,
or in other public information materials prepared and provided by
the Town.
Town employees shall check for red flags as indicators of possible
identity theft. Such red flags may include:
A. Alerts from consumer reporting agencies, fraud detection agencies
or service providers.
B. Documents provided for identification that appear to be altered or
forged.
C. Applications that appear to have been altered or forged or appear
to have been destroyed and reassembled.
D. Applications that appear to include a fictitious mailing address,
mail drop addresses, jail addresses, or invalid phone numbers, page
numbers or answering services.
E. A social security number provided that is the same as one submitted
by other applicants or customers.
F. An applicant or customer that fails to provide all required personal
identifying information on an application or in response to notification
that the application is incomplete.
G. Personal identifying information is not consistent with personal
identifying information that is on file.
H. Mail sent to a person is returned repeatedly as undeliverable although
transactions continue to be conducted in connection with such person's
account.
I. The Town is notified of unauthorized charges or transactions in connection
with a customer's account.
In order to detect any of the red flags identified above, Town
personnel will take the following steps when it is reasonably possible
to do so:
A. Require submittal of complete applications.
B. Verify identity when necessary.
In the event any Town employee becomes aware of red flags indicating
possible identity theft, such employee shall use his or her discretion
to determine whether such red flag or combination of red flags suggests
a theft of identity. If, in his or her discretion, such employee determines
that identity theft or attempted identity theft is likely or probable,
such employee shall convey this information to the Town Clerk. If,
in his or her discretion, the Town Clerk deems that identity theft
is unlikely or that reliable information is available to reconcile
red flags, the Town Clerk may in his or her discretion determine that
no further action is necessary. If the Town Clerk determines that
further action is necessary, the Town Clerk or his or her designee
shall perform one or more of the following responses:
A. Contact the affected person;
B. Cease attempts to collect funds owed by the customer or affected
person;
C. Notify the Town's debt collector of the matter;
D. Notify law enforcement; or
E. Take other appropriate action to prevent or mitigate identity theft.
The Town Clerk is responsible for oversight of the program and
for program implementation. Any recommended material changes to the
program shall be submitted to the Town Board for consideration and
shall be subject to the Town Board's approval.
The Town Board reserves the right to periodically review this
program and modify and update the program from time to time as necessary,
by amendment to this chapter. In doing so, the Town Board shall consider
the following factors and exercise its discretion in amending the
program:
A. The Town's experience with identity theft;
B. Updates in methods of identity theft;
C. Updates in customary methods used to detect, prevent and mitigate
identity theft;
D. Updates in the types of accounts that the Town offers and maintains;
and
E. Updates in service provider arrangements.