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March 13,
2008 Volume
4, Number 11 | ||
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In This
Issue
E-Mail
cynthia.davis@house.mo.gov
Chair Vice Chair
Vice Chair
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Protecting
Missourians from
Identity Theft
It is a special day when a son or daughter passes
the driver license test to receive a real license. For me, that day
was tarnished when we presented my daughter’s papers to the clerk at the
license bureau. She informed us that the state could not issue her a
driver license with her social security number because one had already
been issued to someone else using that same number. I informed the
employee that I had given birth to my daughter and could vouch for the
fact that she was indeed the rightful person we were representing her to
be. Because she had an authorized social security card, she did
receive her license, but I wondered how this could happen and what is in
her future when it is time for her to collect her own social
security. We don’t have to spend much time watching
television to see one of the many commercials offering us free credit
reports or credit card security designed to protect us from the threat of
identity theft. While the ads are often humorous and the jingles are
usually catchy, they shed light on a serious problem that is no laughing
matter to the millions of Americans victimized by identity thieves each
year. Innocent Missourians have been the victims of crimes ranging from
someone using an existing credit card account to purchase goods to an
individual opening multiple accounts using stolen personal information
and, even worse, someone using a stolen identity to secure a business or
home loan. The methods for perpetrating identity theft are many and that
is why it is important that we provide Missourians with adequate
protection from these devastating crimes. The good news is that I am working hard to give
Missourians protection from identity thieves. This year our efforts
in the Missouri House continue with another piece of legislation creating
a very simple change that could mean a big difference for anyone who is
victimized by identity thieves. A bill we passed last week (HB 1384) would
clarify that victims of identify theft have the right to contact local law
enforcement to have an incident report prepared and filed. While many
police departments already do this, some are not willing to take identity
theft reports. It is important to make it clear that we want our local law
enforcement to play a role in combating this problem and to offer a
helping hand to Missourians victimized by this type of crime. This is
especially important because when a victim attempts to have charges
removed from a credit card that were run up by an identity thief, the
victim needs a police report to substantiate the fact the facts of the
crime. This simple, commonsense change can support Missourians victimized
by identity theft when it comes to straightening out the financial mess
that results from these crimes. We can’t stop hackers from obtaining our
information from online sites, but we can do simple things to make sure
that information isn’t readily available. Something as simple as not
giving out your Social Security number unless absolutely necessary, or
shredding any documents with personal information before discarding them,
can make it much more difficult to steal your identity. It’s also
important that we check our credit reports on a regular basis to monitor
for any suspicious activity. By noticing this kind of activity in its
earliest stages, we can prevent identity thieves from doing irreparable
harm to our financial well-being. Identity theft is a serious and scary crime, and
all of us are at risk of becoming the kind of cautionary tale we see in
those catchy commercials. But by being smart with the way we do business,
and by enacting laws that give Missourians adequate protection, we can
thwart the efforts of these criminals who seek to impersonate
us. Here is the core of HB 1384, which the House has
passed on to the Missouri Senate for its
consideration: Section A. Chapter 570.222. 1. Notwithstanding that jurisdiction
may lie elsewhere for investigation and prosecution of a crime of identity
theft, victims of identity theft have the right to contact the local law
enforcement agency where the victim is domiciled and have an incident
report about the identity theft prepared and filed. The local law
enforcement agency that prepares and files the incident report shall, upon
request, provide the victim with a copy of the incident report. The law
enforcement agency may share the incident report with law enforcement
agencies located in other
jurisdictions. Your
thoughts are important to me, so please let me know what you think about
this proposal. You can send me your opinion by clicking
here:
Cynthia Davis. Charley
Talk Program
Watch for the new “Charley Talk” program, hosted
by John Sonderegger, on political issues of interest to March 14 at 2:30
a.m. March 15 at 6:30
p.m. March 16 at 12:30
a.m. March 16 at 11:30
a.m. March 17 at 11:30
a.m. March 17 at 4:00
p.m. March 17 at 6:30
p.m.
2008
Legislative Survey
Watch
for your 2008 Legislative Survey, which we just finished, in the
mail. The survey asks for your opinion on such timely topics as
illegal immigration, adoption records, transportation funding, parental
rights, term limits, labor, gambling, and state government in general.
If you are a resident of District 19, watch for it to arrive soon
and let us know what you think.
Much
of my wisdom comes from listening to your
thoughts.
A
Little Bit of Humor…
A man takes his Rottweiler to the vet. "My dog's
cross-eyed. Is there anything you can do for him?" "Well," says the vet,
"let's have a look at him." So he picks the dog up and examines his eyes,
then checks his teeth. Finally, he says "I'm going to have to put him
down." "Why? Because he's cross-eyed?" "No, because he's really
heavy."
This Capitol Report is a weekly
newsletter by Representative J If you know of anyone else who
would like to receive my Capitol Report, please send an e-mail to Cynthia.Davis@house.mo.gov with the
person’s name and e-mail address. We’ll add them to the
list. L If you would like to stop receiving
the Capitol Report, email us at Cynthia.Davis@house.mo.gov
with “unsubscribe” in the
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