House Banking Committee Chairman Jim Leach will hold a  hearing this morning on legislation that would make it a federal crime to   fraudulently obtain customer financial information.   
Introduced last week, the bill seeks to crack down on the shady  practices of some so-called "information brokers." The plan would make it a   crime to deceive-or attempt to deceive-a bank into divulging a customer's   personal account balances, stock holdings, or other private data. People   who knowingly receive such information also would be guilty of a crime.       
  
Anyone convicted under the law would be subject to a maximum $250,000 in  fines and a five-year jail term. Corporations would face fines as high as   $500,000. Penalties would be doubled for repeat offenders and extreme   cases.     
The legislation would not establish any new requirements or penalties  for financial institutions. Besides Rep. Leach, the six co-sponsors include   Rep. John J. LaFalce, the committee's ranking Democrat.   
  
Eleven witnesses are scheduled, including: Julie Williams, acting  comptroller of the currency; Mozelle W. Thompson, a member of the Federal   Trade Commission; and Boris F. Melnikoff, senior vice president of Wachovia   Corp.