09/28/2006 GAAS:692:06 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Print Version | En Español |
Gov. Schwarzenegger Signs Legislation Targeting Large-Scale Identity Theft
Governor Schwarzenegger announced that he has signed legislation to crack down on criminals who possess stolen personal information that they then use to commit large-scale identity theft. The legislation increases penalties for repeat offenders and possessing the data of 10 or more persons used for trafficking and financial fraud.
“Last year, one million Californians were victimized by identity theft - this is one of the fastest growing crimes in America, an offense that can have a profound and lasting impact on its victims. We must do everything we can to stop identity thieves, including updating our laws to stay ahead of the criminals," said Governor Schwarzenegger. "This legislation targets sophisticated crime operations that commit large-scale identity theft.”
Assembly Bill 2886 by Assembly Members Frommer (D-Glendale), Lieu (D-Torrance), Parra (D-Hanford) and Senator Poochigian (R-Fresno) enacts the Personal Information Trafficking and Mail Theft Prevention Act. The bill also makes mail theft a misdemeanor offense on the state level.
Enacting a tougher identity-theft law regarding trafficking in personal identifying information for multiple individuals helps law enforcement agencies target sophisticated criminal activity. The legislation proportionately sentences repeat offenders and increases penalties for identity theft by punishing the crime as a felony in some cases. The mail-theft provisions help alleviate the United States Postal Inspection Service’s caseload by granting authority to California law enforcement to investigate and prosecute cases involving mail theft.
According to the Federal Trade Commission, in 2004, California ranked third in the nation in identity-theft victims per capita.
The Governor also signed the following bill that deals with identity theft:
Assembly Bill 2043 by the Committee on Banking and Finance extends financial protections, such as temporary debt relief,
given to consumer debtors who have been a victim of identity theft to non-consumer debtors, such as firms, corporations,
and other businesses. Like consumers, businesses can fall victim to identity theft.
Last month, the Governor signed Senate Bill 1390 by Senator Chuck Poochigian (R-Fresno) that will help law enforcement agencies spot identity theft trends and more effectively combat the growing crime.
In 2005, the Governor signed anti-identity theft measures that increased the penalties for "spam," banned the use of equipment to make fake documents, prohibited prisoners from accessing personal information while in work programs, and authorized the Department of Managed Healthcare to perform criminal background checks for state employees and others who have access to medical information.
The Governor also increased the 2005/06 budget for the California Office of Privacy Protection (COPP) by $446,000 to help protect against identity theft, including education and outreach efforts to consumers and organizations throughout California.
Governor Schwarzenegger has sponsored summits two years in a row to bring law enforcement officials, consumer advocacy groups, government officials and industry leaders from across California to focus on ways to fight identity theft. After the first summit was held in Sacramento in 2005, the Department of Consumer Affairs facilitated a working group of experts who released a report on perspectives and recommendations. Earlier this year, the Governor opened his anti-identity theft summit in Los Angeles where more than 1,000 consumer advocates, policy experts and law enforcement officials participated in education and training sessions aimed at fighting identity theft.
