By: Bill Conrad Star Local News
PLANO — Plano residents will get an inside look into the work of the U.S. Congress later this week when Rep. Sam Johnson holds a subcommittee hearing at Plano City Hall.
Johnson, the chairman of the House Social Security Subcommittee, is hosting the hearing on social security numbers and child identity theft. The issue is of growing importance, since the Federal Trade Commission reports that cases of child identity theft have increased 192 percent since 2003.
“Identity thieves prey on the good credit of law-abiding citizens,” Johnson said. “Social Security numbers, even those belonging to children, are often the keys to pulling off these crimes. Taking steps to stop the overuse of Social Security numbers and giving law enforcement better tools to stop these thieves will help prevent identity theft and further protect the privacy of all Americans and their children.”
One of the experts testifying at the hearing is Dr. Lynne Vieraitis, an associate processor of criminology at the University of Texas at Dallas. Vieraitis’ research centers around interviewing people convicted of identity theft and she will share an insight into the criminals’ minds with the committee.
“You usually hear from the victim and from law enforcement, but the offender’s perspective is not part of the discussion,” she said. “The majority of the people we spoke with did it for the money. But what they did with the money varied depending on their lifestyle.”
Vieraitis said some criminals simply wanted to live a life a little better than they could have without committing identity theft, while others lived the “high life” with multiple homes and cars throughout the country.
She said a large number of the criminals she and her partner spoke with said stealing someone’s identity is easy, but that they felt a sense of relief after getting caught. She said the process of securing Social Security numbers and credit cards is stressful, and being captured gave the criminals some peace of mind.
As far as what people can do to avoid having their identity stolen, Vieraitis suggests investing in a shredder.
“I shred almost everything,” she said with a laugh. “A lot of people just throw their junk mail away. People should shred anything with personal information on it including the preapproved credit card forms they receive.”
She added that people should not give out their Social Security number unless it is absolutely necessary. Also, when people are victims of identity theft, she said to ensure the crime is reported to local law enforcement, the Federal Trade Commission, credit rating agencies and banks.
Other speakers include local residents who have been victims of identity theft and select government officials. Public comments are not being accepted at the meeting, but those wishing to have their comments placed in the record are encouraged to visit http://waysandmeans.house.gov and select “hearings.” Comments must be received by Sept. 15.
The hearing is scheduled for Sept. 1 at noon in the council chambers at city hall, 1520 Avenue K in Downtown Plano.
