U.S. Sen. Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV) recently proposed legislation that would turn the tables on identity thieves.
Sen. Capito on Oct. 17 signed on as the lead original cosponsor of the Identity Theft Victims Protection Act, S. 2631, with bill sponsor U.S Sen. Rick Scott (R-FL) to accurately report identity theft transactions in the credit histories of criminal defendants, according to the congressional record summary. U.S. Sens. Deb Fischer (R-NE) and Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) are also original cosponsors of the bill.
“Victims shouldn’t be carrying this crime through their credit history,” said Sen. Capito. “This bill puts a scarlet letter on identity thieves and helps victims move on.”
If enacted, S. 2631 would, following a submission of appropriate proof of a conviction for identity theft or aggravated identity theft, authorize a consumer reporting agency to remove any information in the victim’s credit history report confirmed to be the result of identity theft, according to a bill summary provided by Sen. Capito’s office.
At the same time, the bill would allow for the removed information to be added to the credit history report of the criminal found guilty of identity theft; and other consumer reporting agencies could be notified so that they may take the same action against the criminal’s credit history report, according to the summary.
“Recovering from identity theft can take years, and for families across America, it’s a crime few can afford,” Sen. Capito said. “The Identity Theft Victims Protection Act works to help victims recover and better hold criminals accountable.”
Sen. Fischer noted that victims shouldn’t have to deal with a bad credit score as a result of identity theft and S. 2631 would make it “easier to correct a victim’s credit history following an identity theft conviction.”
“Identity theft crimes should be catalogued as part of a perpetrator’s credit history – not that of an innocent victim,” added Sen. Blackburn. “After the frustration and devastation of having one’s identity stolen, victims deserve some relief.”