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Those who deal with identity theft including law enforcement officers, prosecutors and private-sector fraud investigators, are saying that new technology and new laws are needed to help prevent identity theft crimes in Washington and to prosecute progressively more cunning and covert criminals.

Attorney general Rob McKenna says that the government has come a long way in its fight to stop identity theft. He says that the time has come to regroup, and to reassess the situation and to then reload our weapons in this battle. He says that at the same time that the government is developing new legislation and victim assistance strategies, it is bringing together a multi-jurisdictional approach to organized identity theft through improved coordination.

The co-chairman of Washington's Law Enforcement Group against Identity Theft (LEGIT), McKenna and King County Prosecutor Dan Satterberg, recently convened at a summit on Wednesday the 22nd of October, a group of 90 law enforcement officials, victims' advocates and representatives from the retail and financial industries. At the summit, those who participated reported on successes that have occurred since the Attorney General's 2005 Identity Theft Summit, and in addition they discussed current identity theft trends along with brainstorming possible solutions.

Some of the suggestions that were brought up during the summit included:

-The development of a shared database containing information about identity theft cases, to be used to assist with investigations and streamline reporting processes for victims. A representative of the Utah Attorney General's Office gave a well received presentation regarding a reporting system called IRIS.
-The application of facial recognition software to all Washington drivers' licenses photos as well as business licenses.
-The appointment of a special prosecutor to deal with cases of organized retail identity theft cases.
-Make it a requirement for businesses to either verify Social Security numbers when processing applications for instant credit or gaining a commitment from businesses that they will do so.
-The construction of a repository of computer IP addresses to aid in investigations.
-The creation of new identity theft educational campaigns in order to better target specific audiences, including youth, seniors and businesses.
Examples of threats now facing Washington residents were presented by representatives of the Spokane County and King County prosecutors' offices, together with representatives of the U.S. Attorneys' Office in Seattle, the U.S. Social Security Administration, the U.S. Postal Service, the U.S. Secret Service, and the State Patrol and FBI.
-They described increased car prowls where personal information is stolen. They say that thieves are stealing wallets and purses from cars, removing credit and debit cards, after which they are returning the wallets and purses to the car. According to them, by the time victims notice their cards have been taken, the thieves have already bought for themselves gift cards or other items.