New Law Combatting Identity Theft Goes Into Effect

Under the law, businesses are no longer allowed to print more than five digits of a customer's debit card or credit card number, or the expiration date on a receipt.

The North Carolina Attorney General's Office said the new law is a big step in combating identity theft because it will be harder for thieves to use credit card receipts to steal people's personal financial information.

Busineses that break the law and print the full credit card number on a receipt can be fined $500, but the penalty can be waived if the retailer brings its equipment into compliance within 30 days.

Consumers who find their full account number printed on their receipt can report it to their local law enforcement agency of call the Attorney General's Consumer Protection line at

1-877-5-NO-SCAM

.

Last year, more than a 250,000 people in North Carolina were victims of identity theft, nearly half of which involved credit card fraud. On average victims will spend about $800 dollars to clean up their credit reports.