Capital Briefs: Senate Approves Bill To Stop 'Identity Theft'

The Senate passed legislation on Thursday that would make "identity theft" a federal crime.

The measure would make it illegal to steal Social Security numbers and other personal data. It would also be illegal to use such stolen information to open financial accounts or establish lines of credit under the victim's name.

Current federal law is considered inadequate because perpetrators must be caught in possession of fraudulently obtained or stolen documents, and much of the information can be acquired electronically.

"Establishing identity theft as a criminal violation would enable law enforcement to prevent the fraud before it starts," said Sen. John Kyl, R- Ariz., the bill's sponsor.

Similar legislation has been introduced in the House by Rep. John Shadegg, R-Ariz. House Banking Committee Chairman Jim Leach has introduced narrower legislation that would make it a crime to obtain customer information from financial institutions through fraudulent means.

-Bill McConnell

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