Wicker Supports Effort to Fight Identify Theft

Statement

WICKER SUPPORTS EFFORT TO FIGHT IDENTITY THEFT

The U. S. House of Representatives will soon take strong action to combat the growing problem of identity theft by considering legislation to limit private and public sector access to individuals' Social Security numbers.

The bill was approved by the Ways and Means Committee on a 38-0 vote and will enjoy bipartisan support in the full House. Experts tell us that Social Security numbers provide identity thieves with the most important piece of information to victimize unsuspecting Americans. The goal of the measure is to enhance the privacy of that information and curtail the ability of criminals to access this key to consumers' financial resources. Consumer groups call this issue "an epidemic" and project that it affects 10 million people annually.

VICTIMS OFTEN UNAWARE

A recent article in a north Mississippi newspaper carried an account of woman who was totally unaware that her identity had been stolen until she requested a credit report. She discovered that a thief had used her Social Security number to obtain a credit card and make purchases. Her case is typical of others nationwide where victims don't learn of the crime until criminals have run up thousands of dollars in bills and damaged credit ratings. The nightmare then continues as victims must spend time dealing with credit bureaus and credit card companies to straighten out the mess.

I have been a longtime advocate for identity theft protections. As a Mississippi State Senator, I authored a bill to allow the use of numbers other than Social Security numbers on Mississippi driver's licenses. I have also supported several measures advanced by the Republican majority and signed into law by President Bush to fight this crime on the federal level.

This new legislation includes provisions that would:

* · Prohibit federal, state, and local governments from displaying Social Security numbers on checks, benefit cards, employee or student ID cards, and patient cards such as Medicare.
* · Prevent the transmission of Social Security numbers over the Internet without encryption or other security measures.
* · Prevent private sector firms from buying or selling Social Security numbers. (Limited exceptions would be created for law enforcement, public health and safety needs, and credit reporting agencies.)
* · Add safeguards to ensure that public and private sector entities protect Social Security numbers in their possession from being accessed by unauthorized persons.
* · Impose criminal penalties up to five years in prison and $250,000 and civil sanctions up to $25,000 per incident for misuse of Social Security numbers. Repeat offenders could get 10 years, and use of the numbers in drug trafficking or violent acts would carry sentences up to 20 years in prison.

Identity theft is the fastest growing crime in America. The best defense against it is an aware and informed consumer. The Federal Trade Commission website at ftc.gov offers tips to for consumers to guard against becoming victims. This legislation will also add to the arsenal we are using to fight the crime.

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