Schumer Announces Push for New ‘Bill of Rights’ for Victims of Social Security Identity Theft; Hundreds of Thousands of New Yorkers Fall Prey to…
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Schumer Announces Push for New 'Bill of Rights' for Victims of Social Security Identity Theft; Hundreds of Thousands of New Yorkers Fall Prey to Identity Theft Each Year - Seniors, Disabled Need Strengthened Remedies & Protections
Today, on a conference call with reporters, U.S. Senator
"Hundreds of thousands of New Yorkers are victims of identity theft each year, and for these noxious thieves snatching your
"
Identity theft is a major problem throughout
Schumer said that the most valuable piece of information for any would-be identity thief is an individual's SSN, which unlike a credit card or bank account number, cannot be easily replaced and can be used to commit a number of different forms of identity theft. Most commonly, SSNs can be used to acquire additional personal information about an individual, open up new credit cards in his/her name, commit tax fraud, or even steal one's
According to Schumer, despite how valuable an SSN is, and despite how it has increasingly become the target of identity thieves, the federal protections in place to guard against SSN theft and the remedies available to address the situation have not kept pace with other forms of identity theft. Therefore, Schumer announced that he has introduced a bipartisan bill, the Improving Access to Social Security Services Act (S. 2742), which would modernize protections and create new deterrents against SSN identity theft. Schumer said that this legislation has three main tenets that will help
1. All Social Security Beneficiaries have the right to an immediate confirmation when their
2. All Social Security Beneficiaries have the right to a single point of contact within the SSA who can help an individual remedy SSN fraud and benefit theft. Currently, if a senior calls the SSA to report a stolen SSN, he or she could get a different representative each time who is unfamiliar with the circumstances of that person's case. Schumer's legislation would institute a single point of contact, which would better help seniors and the disabled address SSN theft.
3. Penalties for those who steal SSNs should be stronger and beneficiaries who have had their information stolen should be able to pursue damages. Also, current law is limited in penalizing the middlemen who steal and sell massive quantities of SSNs but don't actually commit SSN fraud themselves. Schumer's bill would allow a victim to pursue damages of up to three times the amount that was stolen and increase the penalties on those found guilty who have stolen SSNs with such frequency that it can be considered a business practice.
Schumer noted that credit cards and banks have many similar policies in place, and they work. For example, if an individual's credit card is stolen or used to make a fraudulent charge, the credit card company notifies the individual immediately and a process to replace that card and prevent the transaction is almost immediately put in action. The same is true for debit cards and bank account information. The same types of protections are not in place, however, in the case of a SSN being stolen or a person's
Schumer noted that for people who do become victims of SSN identity theft, it can be very difficult to keep track of all of the different parties who need to be notified, particularly within the federal government. Schumer said that if a senior - or any other individual - has his or her SSN stolen, one of the first things he should do is call the SSA. Remedying the situation, however, can take many hours and a number of phone calls, and currently an individual reporting and dealing with
In addition, Schumer said that penalties for those who steal SSNs - particularly those who steal them en masse - fail to adequately protect SSNs or penalize SSN traffickers. Schumer's proposal creates, for the first time, civil penalties that enable an aggrieved person to pursue damages against the criminal who caused them monetary loss in state court. If convicted, such a criminal could have to pay damages of up to three times the amount of money that was stolen as a result of a stolen SSN.
During the conference call, Schumer noted the approximate number of individuals in each region of
* In the
* In Central New York, approximately 70,425 people experienced some form of identity theft.
* In the
* In Western New York, approximately 90,188 people experienced some form of identity theft.
* In the Southern Tier, approximately 51,123 people experienced some form of identity theft.
* In the
* In the North Country, approximately 36,033 people experienced some form of identity theft.
A full summary of Schumer's bill, the Improving Access to Social Security Services Act (S.2742), which is co-sponsored by Senators
This bill would address two major challenges facing the
Identity Theft
Equipped with your Social Security Number (SSN) and a few other pieces of personal identification information, criminals can steal from your bank account, create phony bank accounts, file taxes under and take your earned
Establish New Penalties for Distribution of SSNs for Profit and Online Scams: Current laws need to be updated to address the selling and display of SSNs online.
Proposal: 1) Imposes new civil penalties for knowingly and willingly selling, purchasing, or publicly displaying an individual's SSN without informed consent. 2) Update federal law to create parity for SSN related scams committed in print publications and over the internet.
Provide an Automated Notice after Changes are made to Beneficiaries Accounts: Provide an automated notification system to alert beneficiaries of changes made to their direct deposit information in a timely manner with both an electronic and mailer notification. (
Improving SSA services
Fees for Service: Retirees below the poverty line who rely on the SSA for vital services should not have to pay fees for these services. SSA currently charges
Proposal: In any case in which SSA assesses an individual fees for services, the SSA shall provide a waiver process and reduced fee schedule for individuals below the poverty line.
Live Chat Assistance: Many elderly and disabled beneficiaries need help setting up a MySSA account or navigating SSA's online services.
Proposal: SSA shall provide live chat assistance for its web sites and must report to the Inspector General on said implementation progress, and other measures taken to alert user that assistance may be advisable.
SSN Printouts and Benefit Verification Forms: The SSA has not properly notified third parties or the public of its phase-out of these services or substitute services. This may adversely affect beneficiaries who need timely verification services to apply for a job, receive state or federal benefits or apply for a driver's license.
Proposal: The SSA will be required to delay the phasing out of SSN Printouts and Benefit Verification Forms for one year (
Field Office Service
The SSA's current process of local service reduction lacks public input and transparency. This process is in dire need of reform.
Proposal: To ensure local input in the field office closure process, the SSA will complete the following before a field office can be closed: 1) Distribute a public notice with relevant information to relevant stakeholders regarding the area serviced including demographic data, wait times and transportation/internet access constraints. 2) Hold at public comment period with at least 1 public hearing on the reasons for and the effects of an office closing on the local community. 3) After the public comment period and hearing, issue a public report addressing concerns of the local community.
To improve transparency the SSA will be required to: 1) Publish onssa.gov the most recent annual reviews of offices slated for closure. 2) Issue a report to
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