BILLINGS, Mont. — Dealership solutions provider Dealerspan has announced the launch of Red Flag Complete, a comprehensive identity theft-prevention program designed to help dealers comply with the Federal Trade Commission's Red Flags Rule. The FTC has set a deadline requiring dealers to have such a program in place by Nov. 1.

Dealerspan describes Red Flag Complete as a full compliance package, including risk assessment and analysis, policy generation and acceptance, incident tracking and employee video training and testing. The program was developed with the assistance of Hudson Cook LLP's Michael Benoit, author of the recently released A Dealer's Guide to the Red Flags Rule.

Matt Hall, Dealerspan's director of sales and marketing, is spearheading the effort to "simplify what dealerships do, through technology." He noted that the software comes from the unique perspective obtained by sitting in every chair in the dealership. "Our greatest fear as consumers is for someone to get our personal information," Hall said. "It's essential for dealers to have business systems, protocols and procedures in place, like doing business online with a trusted name like Dealerspan."

The identity thieves themselves are way ahead of the November deadline, as Steve Zabawa, owner of Rimrock Auto Group in Billings, Mont., can attest. In recent years, Zabawa has paid $80,000 in ID theft claims. "Pay now or pay later," he said. "If I would have had this program in place, this costly identity theft would have been avoided. This application helps my dealership be proactive when dealing with sensitive data."