Penalties for identity theft targeting seniors and veterans in New Jersey may soon increase, following the advancement of legislation sponsored by Senator Carmen Amato, Jr., Assemblyman Brian Rumpf, and Assemblyman Gregory Myhre. The bill, S-1888, was unanimously approved by the Senate Law and Public Safety Committee.
In a joint statement after the committee’s action on S-1888, Amato, Rumpf, and Myhre said: “Many of our constituents are seniors and veterans that are increasingly alarmed about being specifically targeted for identity theft by fraudsters. Statistics show they are justified in being alarmed as seniors and veterans can be common targets for fraudsters for such reasons as social isolation or a steady income consisting of veterans’ benefits, disability payments or other government programs.”
They continued: “In 2023, more than 2,000 seniors in New Jersey reported scams to the FBI, and the state had $251.7 million in fraud losses reported to the Federal Trade Commission. Nationally, seniors lost over $3.4 billion to scams in 2023.”
The legislators explained how their proposal would work: “Essentially, our legislation would strengthen existing State law by increasing penalties by one degree when the victim is a senior or veteran. For example, current law provides that if an actor obtains a benefit or deprives another of a benefit in an amount of at least $500, but less than $75,000 or the offense involves the identity of at least two but less than five victims, the actor is guilty of a crime of the third degree. Under our legislation, if any of the victims is a senior citizen or a veteran, the offense constitutes a crime of the second degree.”
The bill has bipartisan backing. Senator Paul Sarlo (D-36) serves as Second Prime Sponsor with Senators Shirley Turner (D-15) and Angela McKnight (D-31) as co-sponsors.
S-1888 will next be considered by the Senate Budget and Appropriations Committee where Senator Amato is a member. The companion measure sponsored by Rumpf and Myhre awaits review from the Assembly Public Safety and Preparedness Committee.
