Identity Theft Legislation

With the introduction of the Internet and the ease with which people can gain information, the crime of identity theft has increased. Identity theft occurs when someone is able to obtain another individual’s Social Security number and assume that person’s identity when applying for bank accounts, credit cards, cellular phone accounts and such. The threat of this crime has increased over the past three years and has annually affected about 700,000 people. The severity of this crime is not only in the number of people that it is affecting but in the monetary effect of the crimes committed, which include bank fraud, credit card fraud, and claiming another’s government benefits.

A group in the House Ways and Means Committee have proposed a bill that would not allow the sale of Social Security numbers and would prohibit public display of the numbers, which includes, not displaying them on driver’s licenses. On July 20th the Privacy and Identity Protection Act of 2000 was approved by the House Ways and Means Committee but still must be approved by the Commerce, Judiciary, and Banking Committees before it will be enacted.

What can you do to protect yourself?

Avoid displaying or including your social security number on online registration forms.