Senate Panel Moves ID Theft Enforcement Bill
The Senate Judiciary Committee voted Thursday, November 1 to approve legislation that would enhance enforcement against identity theft and other cybercrimes. The bill would allow victims of ID theft to go to federal court to obtain restitution for loss of time and money spent trying to restore their credit and good name. Penalties for aggravated identity theft could reach up to 20 years in prison under the legislation.
An amendment was adopted by voice vote that would give federal judges authority when imposing sentences to require the perpetrator of a cybercrime to forfeit any interest in property that was used or intended to be used in serious cybercrimes such as conspiracy. Passing counterfeit securities, theft and tax fraud were added to the list identity theft statutes to allow the law to keep up with the ingenuity of today’s identify thieves.
The legislation also addresses a problem hampering federal prosecution of hacking information from computers located in only one state. To deal with this, the bill would eliminate jurisdictional lines that limit prosecution to theft in interstate commerce. The legislation also eliminates a requirement that loss of sensitive information must exceed $5,000 for a federal prosecution. The bill clarifies that prosecution for losses under $5,000 apply only to criminal cases to prevent frivolous prosecutions.
Posted by:
Jeffery McClintock
Categories:
Mortgages
