Bill Passed In Hopes To Stop Identity Theft

Sonora, CA– Mother Lode residents who constantly worry about financial fraud and identity theft may be able to put their mind at ease.

A new law has been passed to help combat these problems. The bill 618 will add photographic and video evidence of suspects to the list of information that law enforcement officials can request from banks when investigating an identity theft or fraud crime.

Assemblyman Dave Cogdill says California is unfortunately a haven for ID theft criminals. The current law allows officers to access limited information such as bank records of a customer´s account covering the 30 days before and after the occurrence of a crime. While banks may choose to provide law enforcement with the photos, they are not required to do so by law.

Officials say without photographic evidence, many cases go unsolved. With the new bill being passed, law enforcement officials hope to stop identity theft in its tracks.

Written by Alisha.cruz