The Coventry Township resident has always been careful about protecting his identity. He doesn't carry his Social Security number on anything in his wallet, uses post-office boxes or the post office when sending checks, and shreds his mail. But he was still a victim of identity theft. Woman May Be Victim Of Identity Theft - Maureen Martin first became aware of a potential problem in January, when her mail carrier asked her if her husband had moved out. Someone had called the post office and asked why his mail had not been forwarded to a post office box in Boston.
Identity theft is a serious crime - It's a crime to pretend to be someone else.
But not a very serious one. A bill before the Legislature's Commerce and Labor Committee would make second offenses into felonies. It should be reported favorably and passed. What's not debatable is the relative ease with which con artists can pilfer personal information. Privacy groups estimate as many as 700,000 cases yearly.