Martha Coakley Part 1

Welcome back this is Tom Finneran -- listening to parents forum on AM 680 WI KO Boston's biggest and best talk station. In -- flagship station for the Boston Red Sox. Now opening day tomorrow or -- Fenway Park and they had a nice victory yesterday thank god. Combat with a little -- Little momentum as they commit to town speak and the momentum we have the one on only Martha Coakley hear the Attorney General -- the Massachusetts welcome miles good morning. Thank you for joining us here in the studio hey we can talk all morning about politics but let's get into some of the stuff that has already. Occupied -- our attention. And you've built a good team appear in the attorney general's office and for several weeks and that new responsibility did identity theft the TJX issue is kind of a label that we put on it but I identity theft and for those of us who. I'm not technologically proficient alike who don't have an identity which are happy Khaled don't have an identity. What is going on out the amount of what have you seen -- period when you with a DA. My -- an -- a timely way now that your Attorney General in when -- hearty fellow attorney general's around the country

good questions all and keep my TJX's really co manages the the peak an event that brought everybody's attention to this but. As in the last ten to 15 years people become more used to using their credit cards using their debit cards shopping online using their cards you know. How -- a -- saw a dollar bill between you know we use paperless transactions we're not going back. And it's it was inevitable at some states is something like this would happen in a way I think it's a good time to -- but his attention to the fact that we do depend upon these kinds of transactions and if we're going to do that we need couple things to happen. Businesses that collect that kind of confidential financial information. Have to be responsible for keeping it. It's confidential and if that information system is breached as we believe it happened in TJX than. What we're looking at is what has happened who has to be notified looking consumers -- so those are some of the things that the legislature has been looking at a Massachusetts. On there's a big hearing tomorrow on a lot of these -- around what can we do. On there's no single answer to it but a couple of things consumers have to be aware. Of how they're using those paperless transactions they need to check their counting these check those reports clinic and in every month. On one of the big concerns it is not just the credit card the effusive debit cards you know we you know -- summing getting information that would allow them to empty your bank --

True I would I would be quite quite awhile but that perhaps a curious about is there a particular pattern to to these instances. Is it more often that it's an internal situation in which there went to -- employees I don't want to say at TJX but wherever it might happen. Or is -- external we have some people who can actually cracked eight companies coats -- let's say you and I are running a company. And we're doing -- very very best to keep that data confidential and secure -- was supposed to do. And yet there is a brilliant people out there who find the way around all this the barriers that we've built into the system any pattern inside job outside Europe it's actually.

Both Tom and one of the things you know on the one hand you are always going to have the situation on the inside employees so -- may -- hasn't. Drug problem are gambling problem and in so who knows how the information is kept you know 20 years ago they would've taken the information off the record book they -- so much checkbook but now they can. -- into and they do it legitimately because they have access to information they take -- Social Security number and they'll pick someone whose name is fairly common so they can clear and with the Jane -- Tom roe and and they if they get a Social Security number dates of birth they can actually create identities that's see it that the true identity theft. They become someone else so they apply for credit they open a bank accounts. They start trading on your name using your Social Security card. A number and Europe and your your birthday the other thing the outside hacker tightening is someone who comes in in takes massive amounts of information and it may be. Aren't as simple as someone who's consistently -- offer credit card from a restaurant you know or restore Russia and then they sell. You know and it may be and a small of a large slow but those numbers have become valuable C equivalent of a bank robbery or hold up you know I'd is added I likened this food debris to TJX's a little bit like. You know if in the past you were looking for money you hold that the Brinks robber you know that there is the brink's robbery that's for the -- in the big deal any notice this financial information that allows people who traffic in and people are sophisticated about it to start to use. The information and create identity is so I just I just want to distinguished people can get their credit card number stolen. It doesn't mean that there victim of identity theft because sooner or later fairly quickly that we'll show -- the real problem is went. People get Social Security birth dates and start creating identities that's a nightmare.

Okay and I think we we know somebody who has gone through that nightmare on the first instant she gave actually think that's what happened to my wife took to attempt to -- and I and I think it did happen to TJX. She noticed on -- billing statement all of a sudden a pattern of expenditures 1520. Almost in a row within two -- three days of each other thank god -- less than 30 dollars but nonetheless it was not anything she'd recognize that brought it to me I don't spend 30 dollars a month. And -- tedious if every move approval approval -- the right word to use the -- of -- honorable deputy general frugal achieved fruitless if but on identity theft right representative Paul Casey and out of Winchester an -- point about how they'll pick any media that is Paul Casey how many of personal pockets there's only. Really his -- why why talk -- at thank god if you listen in case he's crazy he's a great guy he's the state representative from Winchester but his identity was actually stolen and he has gone through a nightmare and now having -- a few years at least -- that's ever ideas of trying to. Correct that the image that's been done to his name all over the country.

Right because someone had his name and his information so all of a sudden the credit cards open its next does not paid his default but. So his credit record is a nightmare it in it's not his but he can't get rid of it until it's it's been very difficult for people to trying cleared up that it becomes increasingly. Difficult from so that some of what. On the Massachusetts legislature's leotard if you have been a victim of this kind of identity theft. What kinds of things can we do to make it easier for people to restore their credit and their good credit stand.

And what's the role that from your perspective of an Attorney General in all of this with this new dynamic it's no longer a couple wise guys with a gun and a mass Conant to a bank it's no longer the Brinks bank. It's this new way of getting access to records in the four finances what's the role of the aging.

Well there's a couple first of -- some of the regulation happens on the federal level there's been a lot of preemption of credit card companies and large banks. But we're weak economy and -- particularly the role we tried to plea is on as we are lawyers and our job is to be lawyers for the government is to try and help. I'm with recommendations in a model bill as it were to his sort of CDs or something she should look at these it would other states have done these are good solutions. On from the consumer point of view. What can we do to if a breaches occurred for instance to protect consumers so some of it is notification responsibilities if a company like TJX uncovers a breach. They have some responsibility subject to. On advice from law enforcement and that's a little different issue. You know to let people know so people can start protect their own identity so. Notification and ability for individuals for instance to freeze their credit and this doesn't mean that it freezes the use of their own credit card. But it puts a freeze on their own accounts of that and someone can't go into Macy's who wore another store or bank -- start to open up at camp -- his if you apply for credit you know you're checking out Chelsea want to say 10% open up a dark. So if you do that -- Simmons -- not do them until they check your credit rating if you if someone stole your identity -- way into a store like target or. On TJX and tried to open a credit and you put a freeze on it.

It won't happen --

Yeah and so you can so -- use zero -- critic of the EU freeze that says that there's no activity on your count in the and you know you can unfreeze its passage but if you have some reason to believe that someone has information that could allow them to open up accounts in your you have the ability to do that. Action and make it easier to do wouldn't -- it.

We're going to shift to crime let me remind people -- talking to Attorney General Martha -- joined us here in the studios say -- it's for a may have succeeded WRK he'll -- we will be taking your calls. The number here is 6172666868 he remake of the email address is T Finneran at WR KO dot com the Attorney General hazard Dunkin' Donuts copies she is ready to roll the Attorney General is on -- and we've been talking about identity theft. Let's shift gears that we can't. Madam Attorney General you reduce last week joining the governor the mania. Do you District Attorney Dan Connolly and others to commit police commission of people law enforcement including itself what the highest. Florence was my job in the in the commonwealth. This whole issue of urban crime it's exploded -- in Geneva but Roxbury Dorchester -- and a number of cities around the commonwealth. A struggling with really the violence that we see in youth today. What's what's what's the game plan that you helped articulated rollout last week.

Well part of what it it sounds like old news in some ways but we all many of us who -- doing this work where around in the 90s when and you remember similar problem with a lot of kids on the streets -- bloody guns a lot of gang activity a lot of shooting. On -- end in in some ways the problem we're facing now is not new and it it's not it's India's surprise -- mean five years ago and the did the people who track these trends said that the population is going up there's going to be a spike in this. Age group of young men particularly we're going to have a large number of people were coming out of prison after five your sentences tenure sentences so. On some of it shouldn't take is totally by surprise which changed of course is it's and the players are different we have new. I -- DA we have a different US attorney and there's less money is less resources but. I think the point that all of us have recognized is that OK enough talk it's time to start to focus the efforts as we did in the early 90s. With a federal state Tony city. Focus on two parts one is the enforcement and how do you make cases against this kind of violence which. On isn't really random violence in in one respect to these are organized. Gang activities and some of the violence that occurs in the context of that is random. But win it three in the afternoon so much it's a bullet through a bus running through downtown Boston I think people say okay enough is enough is enough -- in there are some things that weakened -- from an enforcement point of view and I think everybody's starting to do this you know how do we make cases -- we make people fearless afraid that we look at the invitation is in intimidation of witnesses who NN in the peace behind that there was no longer. Peace to put in place it's harder work in and we kind of were victims of our own success but what do we do about the after school staff and that the summertime step in the summer jobs. And the brothers and sisters of these kids in the families where violence has been. It at least you know tolerated. On -- there's a lot of work to be not just street workers not to schools but we need that fabric together again get these kids. On before they get into troubles of these two pieces the really bad kids you know what they have to face the consequences of this but there are other kids for home. You know they're crossroads in their about two bureau Patrick there are some. Ways in which if you get the community schools police. Faith community working to get you get this is back on track.

Not having to understand I believe you have I have a program within DR Roth was called the safe neighborhoods actually have. -- Geneva -- is a target to give a young Assistant Attorney General of their by the name of Fini whose family -- know pretty well and I know he's had a real go get a how does that work between UND and comments -- voted Geneva is an example yet. That's we get some bad act is down there and some terrible terrible incidents which is really paralyzed with fright. The thousands of good people and families that live there and they just Livent in in in fright that's the only word I can use but the daily activities. So when US safe neighborhood initiative folks go to work who actually prosecute the case would be DNA -- she RI office set decide.

It's actually Dan's office an end this program goes back to Scott Harshbarger into Tom Reilly and and Matt -- actually was an intern for me when as the middle 60 alienation that. It -- cause lost -- needed a great job. But it is through the DA's office but there are specially designated assistant -- assistant attorneys general. Cool on operate is specially DA's and their focuses on the gang cases and it's not just the enforcement of the cases but it is. Through those safe neighborhood initiative meetings where. On there are in regular meetings with community community leaders around the kinds of enforcement. And that is a way in which we have contributed not just in Boston but in some of the other urban cities with. Resource is we give people we get that -- the the focus in effect that's one way in which in the next couple weeks we want to step up our ability to assist. On with the district attorney's office with federal authorities who happened involved it's not like nothing's been happening there's been a lot of work going on. But I think it's his time to really focus and ratchet in on. Where the problems are what it is that we can do to help the people in those neighborhoods both feel safer on NBC and --

Say for -- well so it's essentially. Resource is from your office that'll that bolster the whole effort that's going on up at the local level exactly -- you know dance -- and Dan and I were colleagues and I was in Middlesex. On he has a huge district and he has domestic violence issues he has other kinds of crime problems that he has the attention to so he is stretched thin and this is a way in which -- give. Targeted people with experience who worked with Boston police and sometimes with other law enforcement authorities to focus on the urban violence and particularly thinking violence -- African use of football analogy this is special teams unit -- be the best special teams unit possibly exactly they've given -- coming -- break and right around this time every day mr. madam Attorney General we open up what we call the will call window of the WR Cahill will call window is now open