11-27-2008, 11:20 PM
Anyone know if this legislation is going anywhere?
New Social Security card merits debated
April 10, 2008, 3:35 pm - Pioneer Press
Would a more secure, tamperproof Social Security card help reduce the likelihood of identity theft? U.S. Rep. Mark Kirk and some local police think so, but others are skeptical.
Kirk, R-10th, of Highland Park, has introduced legislation with Rep. Peter Roskam, R-6th, of Glen Ellyn, that would require the development of a wear-resistant card featuring a photograph, fingerprint and electronic bar code with biometric identifiers.
Kirk said initially he would like to see the card offered to any American who wants it, and hopes it would eventually become standard across the country.
"I think its time has come," said Kirk. "Identity theft is becoming more and more prevalent, and it's especially devastating to seniors living on fixed incomes."
Critics of the plan, including Ed Yohnka of the American Civil Liberties Union of Illinois, question how much added security Kirk's proposed new Social Security card would actually provide because the card would be voluntary.
"How much security are you actually adding if it's optional?" he said.
Even some in law enforcement question if a more secure Social Security card would have much impact on identity theft.
Kevin Parker, deputy chief of investigations for the Lake County Sheriff's Office, said most cases of identity theft the sheriff's department investigates involve illegal use of a stolen Social Security number, and rarely does he hear of criminals using fraudulent Social Security cards to steal somebody's identity.
"You don't need the physical card in order for a Social Security number to be stolen and used fraudulently," he said. "No one cares about the card. They care about the number."
Police in Mundelein and Waukegan say counterfeiting of Social Security cards is a growing problem, not only in cases of identity theft but with illegal immigrants obtaining fake IDs so they can apply for jobs and driver's licenses.
Last month, Mundelein Police and the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement service arrested a man for making phony Social Security cards, driver's licenses and permanent residence cards.
Mundelein Police Chief Raymond Rose said the case points to the need for greater security of all forms of identification, particularly Social Security cards, which are among the easiest documents to counterfeit. The phony documents are often used by illegal immigrants to obtain other identification such as driver's licenses, credit cards or even Passports.
"This is getting to be pretty big business," he said.
Waukegan Police Chief William Biang, who also supports Kirk's proposed legislation, estimates Waukegan police confiscate at least 200 fake Social Security cards per year.
hock:
"These things are sold on the streets from anywhere from $100 to $500, depending on the quality and whose selling them. They're used to buy cars, houses, establish credit or get driver's licenses," Biang said.
In most cases, Biang said, the cards are purchased by illegal immigrants to obtain work, but often the counterfeit cards include a real Social Security number.
He recalled one case where a Waukegan resident obtained a counterfeit Social Security card with somebody else's Social Security number and used the card to obtain a job, establish credit and buy a house and car. He said police finally learned of the scheme when a California man with the same Social Security number began receiving phone calls from the IRS asking why he was not reporting income from Waukegan.
The U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) service made 1,272 arrests for identity and benefit fraud in 2006, according to Kirk's office.
Pat Reilly, a spokesperson for ICE, said a more reliable Social Security card that is harder to counterfeit would potentially make it more difficult for illegal immigrants to obtain jobs or driver's licenses.
"It's one aspect of the illegal immigration problem," she said.
Kirk said his primary reason for proposing the legislation was to protect seniors from identity thieves, and immigration fraud was a secondary issue.
But Yohnka said the proposal seems more targeted at illegal immigrants than it does identity theft.
"It sure seems to me these proposals are aimed at attempting to put some kind of Band-Aid on the immigration problem rather than to address identity theft," he said.
Yonhka said the ACLU is also concerned that a secure Social Security card could become the first step toward a "national ID card," and citizens would be required to produce the card whenever they board a bus or train, enter a building or make a purchase.
"I think it's sort of in the realm of proposals we see for a national identification card that permits government to capture and track information about law-abiding individuals across the country," he said. "I think that kind of government surveillance without a proper law enforcement purpose is always dangerous."
Kirk said his legislation would not change existing privacy laws regarding the appropriate use of Social Security information by government employees.
"We're not changing basic Social Security law," he said. "We're just making sure the card is harder to counterfeit."
While no central database exists on fraudulent Social Security card statistics, some federal agencies do keep records of Social Security identity theft complaints.
Jonathan Lasher, deputy chief counsel to the Inspector General of the Social Security Administration, said their office received 12,285 misuse allegations involving Social Security numbers and cards during fiscal year 2007. While they do investigate some cases of counterfeit or stolen Social Security cards, he said most of the complaints they receive involve the misuse of Social Security numbers.
Kirk acknowledges that a more secure card alone is only part of the solution to identity theft. He plans to introduce legislation to ban the sale of Social Security numbers and provide stiffer penalties for individuals who illegally use Social Security numbers to commit identity theft.
New Social Security card merits debated
April 10, 2008, 3:35 pm - Pioneer Press
Would a more secure, tamperproof Social Security card help reduce the likelihood of identity theft? U.S. Rep. Mark Kirk and some local police think so, but others are skeptical.
Kirk, R-10th, of Highland Park, has introduced legislation with Rep. Peter Roskam, R-6th, of Glen Ellyn, that would require the development of a wear-resistant card featuring a photograph, fingerprint and electronic bar code with biometric identifiers.
Kirk said initially he would like to see the card offered to any American who wants it, and hopes it would eventually become standard across the country.
"I think its time has come," said Kirk. "Identity theft is becoming more and more prevalent, and it's especially devastating to seniors living on fixed incomes."
Critics of the plan, including Ed Yohnka of the American Civil Liberties Union of Illinois, question how much added security Kirk's proposed new Social Security card would actually provide because the card would be voluntary.
"How much security are you actually adding if it's optional?" he said.
Even some in law enforcement question if a more secure Social Security card would have much impact on identity theft.
Kevin Parker, deputy chief of investigations for the Lake County Sheriff's Office, said most cases of identity theft the sheriff's department investigates involve illegal use of a stolen Social Security number, and rarely does he hear of criminals using fraudulent Social Security cards to steal somebody's identity.
"You don't need the physical card in order for a Social Security number to be stolen and used fraudulently," he said. "No one cares about the card. They care about the number."
Police in Mundelein and Waukegan say counterfeiting of Social Security cards is a growing problem, not only in cases of identity theft but with illegal immigrants obtaining fake IDs so they can apply for jobs and driver's licenses.
Last month, Mundelein Police and the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement service arrested a man for making phony Social Security cards, driver's licenses and permanent residence cards.
Mundelein Police Chief Raymond Rose said the case points to the need for greater security of all forms of identification, particularly Social Security cards, which are among the easiest documents to counterfeit. The phony documents are often used by illegal immigrants to obtain other identification such as driver's licenses, credit cards or even Passports.
"This is getting to be pretty big business," he said.
Waukegan Police Chief William Biang, who also supports Kirk's proposed legislation, estimates Waukegan police confiscate at least 200 fake Social Security cards per year.
hock: "These things are sold on the streets from anywhere from $100 to $500, depending on the quality and whose selling them. They're used to buy cars, houses, establish credit or get driver's licenses," Biang said.
In most cases, Biang said, the cards are purchased by illegal immigrants to obtain work, but often the counterfeit cards include a real Social Security number.
He recalled one case where a Waukegan resident obtained a counterfeit Social Security card with somebody else's Social Security number and used the card to obtain a job, establish credit and buy a house and car. He said police finally learned of the scheme when a California man with the same Social Security number began receiving phone calls from the IRS asking why he was not reporting income from Waukegan.
The U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) service made 1,272 arrests for identity and benefit fraud in 2006, according to Kirk's office.
Pat Reilly, a spokesperson for ICE, said a more reliable Social Security card that is harder to counterfeit would potentially make it more difficult for illegal immigrants to obtain jobs or driver's licenses.
"It's one aspect of the illegal immigration problem," she said.
Kirk said his primary reason for proposing the legislation was to protect seniors from identity thieves, and immigration fraud was a secondary issue.
But Yohnka said the proposal seems more targeted at illegal immigrants than it does identity theft.
"It sure seems to me these proposals are aimed at attempting to put some kind of Band-Aid on the immigration problem rather than to address identity theft," he said.
Yonhka said the ACLU is also concerned that a secure Social Security card could become the first step toward a "national ID card," and citizens would be required to produce the card whenever they board a bus or train, enter a building or make a purchase.
"I think it's sort of in the realm of proposals we see for a national identification card that permits government to capture and track information about law-abiding individuals across the country," he said. "I think that kind of government surveillance without a proper law enforcement purpose is always dangerous."
Kirk said his legislation would not change existing privacy laws regarding the appropriate use of Social Security information by government employees.
"We're not changing basic Social Security law," he said. "We're just making sure the card is harder to counterfeit."
While no central database exists on fraudulent Social Security card statistics, some federal agencies do keep records of Social Security identity theft complaints.
Jonathan Lasher, deputy chief counsel to the Inspector General of the Social Security Administration, said their office received 12,285 misuse allegations involving Social Security numbers and cards during fiscal year 2007. While they do investigate some cases of counterfeit or stolen Social Security cards, he said most of the complaints they receive involve the misuse of Social Security numbers.
Kirk acknowledges that a more secure card alone is only part of the solution to identity theft. He plans to introduce legislation to ban the sale of Social Security numbers and provide stiffer penalties for individuals who illegally use Social Security numbers to commit identity theft.