COLUMBIA,
S.C. (AP) - Consumers would get new tools to fight identity theft
under a bill the Senate approved Wednesday.
The Consumer Identity Theft Protection Act would let consumers
get free credit reports and court help when they discover that
someone has fraudulently used their identification to get credit.
"For those people who have had their identity stolen, they can
expect to have some assistance and hopefully it won't take them
several years - which is what happens now - to redeem their good
name," said Sen. Linda Short, D-Chester, and the bill's sponsor.
The bill also would require information about fraudulent accounts
to be deleted from victims' reports. And credit card companies would
have to verify change of address requests.
"That's one of the easiest ways for someone to steal your
identity," Short said. "We get a million of those things and so many
people just trash them without tearing them up. What you need to do
is shred them."
The bill heads to the House, where a similar Senate bill died
last year.
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On the Net:
Identity theft bill:
http://www.scstatehouse.net/sess115-2003-2004/bills/222.htm
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