If you’ve ever seen the 1993 movie “Groundhog Day”, you have a glimpse of what it’s like to write about the Federal Trade Commission’s enforcement of the Red Flag Rules.

In the movie, bitter TV weatherman Bill Murray is forced to cover the same Groundhog Day events he’s covered several years running, but he wakes the next day to experience the same series of events, day after day. All the other characters say and do the same things, day after day.

Earlier deadlines were November 1, 2008 and May 1, 2009.

Again this time, the FTC cites continued confusion about their definition of creditor and what creditors need to do to comply with Red Flag Rules. And, again this time, the FTC promises to “redouble its efforts to educate them about compliance”.

The Rules are intended to protect consumers from identity theft by familiarizing businesses and financial institutions with the warning signs of ID theft, and requiring that they establish procedures for responding to possible incidents of identity theft.

The FTC’s Red Flag Web site at www.ftc.gov/redflagsrule, provides resources to help businesses determine whether they fall within the definition of “creditor,” and provides templates for designing compliance programs.

The FTC and other financial regulatory agencies established the Rules as part of the Fair and Accurate Credit Transactions Act of 2003.

The Rule was intended to protect consumers from identity theft by requiring that financial institutions and creditors develop procedures for confirming applicants’ identities, responding to suspected identity theft, and train their employees in the newly developed procedures.

The extension was granted in response to continuing confusion regarding who has to be in compliance, with most people assuming the Rule applied only to credit card issuers and financial institutions. In fact, according to federal law, a creditor is “any entity that regularly extends, renews or continues credit; any entity that regularly arranges for the extension, renewal or continuation of credit; an assignee of an original creditor who is involved in the decision to extend, renew or continue credit.”

It has taken many by surprise to learn that the Rule applies to doctors, car dealers, utility companies, cell-phone companies and any nonprofit or government entities that defer payment for goods or services.

In the mean time, consumers can’t rely on creditors of any kind to take reasonable steps to protect their customers’ identities.

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