Illegal aliens can't dodge identity theft charges in Utah
December 28, 3:02 PM Salt Lake City Immigration Examiner Ronald Mortensen

1 comment

Utah’s identify fraud law has been specifically designed to protect the victims of identity theft who suffer real harm when their Social Security numbers are used by illegal aliens to obtain jobs and benefits reserved for American citizens and legal residents.

Under federal law, unless the government can prove that an illegal alien is knowingly using a Social Security number that belongs to an American citizen or legal resident, the illegal alien cannot be convicted of aggravated identity theft.

Under Utah law, the use of a Social Security number that belongs to another person is a felony regardless of whether the illegal alien knows or doesn’t know that the Social Security belongs to someone else.

The difference between Utah and federal law is of critical importance since, according to a senior Social Security Administration Official, 75% of illegal aliens are using fraudulently obtained Social Security numbers.

Many of the numbers used by illegal aliens already belong to American citizens and legal residents and when this is the case, according the Federal Trade Commission, identity theft has occurred.

In addition, even if an illegal alien originally obtains a Social Security number that hasn’t been assigned to an American citizens or legal resident, there is real possibility that it will eventually be issued to a baby born in the United States because the Social Security Administration doesn’t remove numbers from its data base that it hasn’t officially assigned.

Victims of Social Security number identity theft suffer real harm. They have their credit records ruined, are saddled with the arrest records of the persons using their numbers, may be liable for unpaid taxes on income earned under their numbers, risk being denied means-tested benefits because of income earned by the persons using their numbers, and may even have their medical records corrupted with life threatening consequences.

Nationwide, 15% of all identity theft is employment related. In Utah, one in six cases of identity theft is job related. Children are prime targets of illegal aliens since no one checks their credit histories.

According to the Utah Coalition on Illegal Immigration, the advocates for illegal aliens, including politicians, religious organizations and the Utah Office of Ethnic Affairs, have a responsibility to help protect Utahns from illegal alien driven identity theft rather than continuing to turn a blind eye to this serious felony.

http://oneoldvet.com/

www.examiner.com