According to a national survey conducted by the Federal Trade Commission, the number of identity theft victims in 2002 approached 10 million, including 663, 300 New Yorkers. In February, the Federal Identity Theft Data Clearinghouse reported that 38 percent of all fraud claims related to identity theft, and New York State ranked seventh in the nation in per capita identity theft reports.
“Seniors are especially vulnerable to identity theft, often due in part to health problems, isolation, and in some measure to their alienation from the technological and informational flow with which personal financial reports are inextricably linked,” Sen. Kruger said.
The measure establishes a Class D felony for those who obtain goods, money, property or services or use the credit in the name of a person 65 or older, or who cause financial loss to someone 65 or older. Currently, a violation of identity theft is divided into three degrees, with no aggravating factors based on the age of a victim.
“Thieves also target seniors because they tend to be more financially solvent than younger groups, and are often more apt, through inaction or inaction, to reveal personally identifiable information,” Sen. Kruger said.
“Also, as seniors are often less connected to the Internet or less likely to periodically review their credit reports with the major credit reporting agencies, the victims of such crimes often don’t know that the crime has been committed until much later, if at all, and may not know whom to report it to,” Sen. Kruger said.
Appointments are a must. Call (718) 743-8610 to reserve your place.
Only seniors who haven’t requested a free credit report in the past year may take part in this event. Sen. Kruger’s staff will obtain the credit report online and print it out while you wait.
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