OKLAHOMA CITY — In an effort to crack down on child identity theft, State Sen. George Burns, R-Pollard, has filed Senate Bill 312, which would create harsher penalties for a person that steals the identity of a victim less than 18 years old.
“It’s always an issue when any identity is stolen, but it’s especially concerning when it involves a child,” Burns said. “Unfortunately, I’ve heard of many cases where parents, guardians or other close family members have used a child’s social security number and birth date information to open credit cards or loans and accrue thousands of dollars of debt, only to be discovered when that child becomes an adult and attempts to open a credit or loan account on their own. At this point, the damage has been done, leaving these young adults with wrecked credit.”
Currently, the penalty for identity theft or fraud is a felony punishable by 1-5 years in prison, or a fine not to exceed $100,000. Under the proposed measure, the penalty for child identity theft or fraud would be a felony punishable by either 2-10 years in prison, a fine not to exceed $100,000, or both a fine and prison time.
If passed, the measure would become effective November 1, 2021.