A bill that would give identity theft victims financial restitution was introduced last week by a Maryland legislator.
Sen. Delores Kelley said the bill will put a spotlight on “the fastest growing crime there is.”
If the bill becomes law, once a defendant is found guilty of identity theft, prosecutors could recommend to the judge or jury that restitution should be paid to the victim as part of the court ruling. Money could be sought based on amounts lost by victims to identity theft or for expenses incurred to combat it, like legal fees, payments to straighten out credit reports, or lost wages due to time spent trying to restore things to normalcy.
Kelley said the bill would require that all restitution would be paid to the victim, and not the state. The bill came out of an identity theft task force, created in 2005, which was charged with examining restitution procedures. The task force gave its final report in December 2007, and called for a mechanism in the law to reimburse victims.
Currently, under Maryland law, restitution is available only for certain crimes – identity theft is not one of those crimes.
If passed, the legislation could pave the way for other states to pass similar laws.
