Justice for Victims of IRS Scams and Identity Theft Act of 2018

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, let me thank the manager of this bill, Mr. Poe, again, for his continued leadership on issues of protecting the victim.

I know that everyone has either gone to their bank, been at a store, or gotten that call that says that: ``Are you Mrs. Jones? You live in Texas. There is someone now in a department store in New York using your identity, your card, your credit card,'' and nothing but fear comes your way. It may not be even on the basis of you having lost your credit cards, but it may be on the basis of the dastardly act of stealing your identity.

Probably there is nothing more, besides family and faith and country and God, that disturbs you most than to lose who you are. And so the legislation of H.R. 2905, the Justice for Victims of IRS Scams and Identity Theft Act of 2018, is a valuable legislative initiative because, every year, billions of dollars are stolen from hardworking Americans as a result of identity theft.

Tax season, as it begins today, or ends today, is a particularly dangerous time as scammers pretending to be IRS representatives trick victims into giving them money. Some of the most vulnerable victims are senior citizens or individuals who are not familiar with the likes of government responsibilities or actions.

The bipartisan bill, H.R. 2905, the Justice for Victims of IRS Scams and Identity Theft Act of 2018, helps ensure that Congress has the information it needs to make sure that law enforcement agencies are employing tactics to hold these criminals accountable and deter future crimes.

I want to thank the gentleman from Iowa (Mr. Young) and the gentlewoman from Arizona (Ms. Sinema) for their astute leadership on this bill and for recognizing that victims are left helpless and hopeless sometimes.

As tax season comes to a close, millions of Americans are at risk of being exploited by emerging schemes where scam artists pretend to be IRS agents and harass victims into providing personal information and money. The IRS estimates that more than $65 million has been lost to phone tax scammers in the past 5 years. These attacks are most common during the tax season, in March and April. Those are dollars that many valuable and important programs or responsibilities of our Federal Government could utilize, dollars that certainly don't belong to criminals.

Often, scammers present themselves as the IRS and trick people into sending their money and personal information. As technology advances, so do the scammers. The IRS warned of a sophisticated phone scam targeting taxpayers, including recent immigrants, which has been making the rounds throughout the country.

Scammers claim to be IRS employees using fake names and bogus IRS identification badges. They may know a lot about their targets, and they usually alter the caller I.D. to make it look like the IRS.

By debating this bill on the floor of the House today, Mr. Speaker, we hope that we are sending a far-reaching warning for those who may be watching or those who are watching to tell others: Please understand that the IRS has made it clear they do not do business that way.

Victims are told they owe money to the IRS and they must be paid promptly through a gift card or a wire transfer. That is not the way IRS does business. Victims may be threatened with arrest or deportation or suspension of a business or driver's license.

Seek immediate help through counsel, through calling, directly, the IRS or your public servant that is nearby.

In many cases, the caller becomes hostile and insulting. If the phone isn't answered, the scammers often leave an urgent callback request. That is not the way the Federal Government does its business, or the

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, in closing, again, let me thank Mr. Young from Iowa for his presence here. And let me thank Ms. Sinema, who has always been astutely concerned about the fairness to those who may be victimized by these dastardly acts. I reiterate again that they are conmen and - women, and Ms. Sinema knows well the importance of protecting her constituents, so I want to congratulate her and Mr. Young for this legislation.

Again, I want to emphasize how important it is that we take important measures to protect all forms of identity theft. But I want to use the terminology ``victims'' because, as I have said, senior citizens, people who are there alone; and, of course, families, individuals who are not experienced; first-time filers, for example, of their IRS filing; and people who don't have, or know, anyone to call, they are particularly in the eye of the storm.

I, again, reiterate--if you are listening to us--do not respond to those kinds of intimidating calls. Please call the IRS. Yes, you can call the IRS or your public servant that is nearby, or seek some relief in some other manner.

Identity theft can occur in many settings. It can occur in public places where criminals watch you from a nearby location as you punch in your credit card number, or listen in on your conversation if you have to give your credit card number over the telephone. It can also occur if you receive applications for pre-approved credit cards in the mail, but discard them without tearing up the enclosed materials. A first notice to everyone: those items should be shredded.

Many people's information is stolen when they are inquiring to spam emails that promise them some benefit, but request identifying data. In some cases, criminals reportedly abuse computer technology to steal large amounts of personal data.

With enough identifying information about an individual, a criminal can take over that individual's identity to conduct a wide range of crimes. You don't want to get that phone call. Maybe it is not a store in New York, but it might be a store in Istanbul, or somewhere beyond, that your credit card is being used.

False applications for loans and credit cards, fraudulent withdrawals from bank accounts, fraudulent use of telephone calling cards, or online accounts, it is important to be reminded the world is getting smaller and these credit card accounts can be used all over the world. The consequences of identity theft can be severe and can leave a person with no funds to pay for everyday living costs. Identity fraud can have a significant effect on your credit history.

If an identity theft uses your existing credit or applies for new credit, this could leave a footprint of debt or missed payments in your credit report, even to the extent that this individual generates a bankruptcy. Even if the criminal applies for credit and is rejected, this can still have a negative impact on your credit history, as each application for credit is recorded.

It is with these concerns that I applaud this legislation and ask my colleagues to support the present legislation that is H.R. 2905, the Justice for Victims of IRS Scams and Identity Theft Act of 2018. The victims are our most important cause.

Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, every year, billions of dollars are stolen from hardworking Americans as a result of identity theft. Tax season is a particularly dangerous time as scammers pretending to be IRS representatives, trick victims into giving them money. The bipartisan bill, H.R. 2905 ``Justice for Victims of IRS Scams and Identity Theft Act of 2018,'' helps ensure that Congress has the information it needs to make sure that law enforcement agencies are employing tactics to hold these criminals accountable and deter future crimes.

As tax season comes to a close, millions of Americans are at risk of being exploited by an emerging scheme where scam artists pretend to be IRS agents and harass victims into providing personal information and money. The IRS estimates that more than $65 million has been lost to phone tax scammers in the past five years. These attacks are most common during the high high tax season in March and April.

Often scammers present themselves as the IRS and trick people into sending them money and personal information. As technology advances so do the scammers. The IRS warned of a sophisticated phone scam targeting taxpayers, including recent immigrants, which has been making the rounds throughout the country. Scammers claim to be IRS employees, using fake names and bogus IRS identification badge numbers. They may know a lot about their targets, and they usually alter the caller ID to make it look like the IRS is calling.

Victims are told they owe money to the IRS and it must be paid promptly through a gift card or wire transfer. Victims may be threatened with arrest, deportation or suspension of a business or driver's license. In many cases, the caller becomes hostile and insulting. If the phone isn't answered, the scammers often leave an ``urgent'' callback request. Scared and confused, many victims comply with the scammers request out of fear of the repercussions.

The ``Justice for Victims of IRS Scams and Identity Theft Act of 2018,'' requires the Department of Justice and the Department of Treasury to report to Congress the efforts to combat the serious identity theft problem. The bill requires the DOJ to report on the status of prosecutions of identity theft crimes. It asked for recommendations regarding how this crime is committed, how to improve collaboration with other federal agencies, and how to improve law enforcement deterrence and prevention of such offenses. It also requires the Department of Treasury to provide a report detailing its current efforts to assist in the prosecution of identity theft where the criminal impersonates IRS personnel and the resources they need to facilitate the prosecution of these offenses. This information will provide a helpful insight into how our law enforcement agencies are addressing the problem and what Congress can do to help improve the results.

We need to ensure that Americans are being protected from these con artists who target and terrify Americans and that these thieves are held accountable for their criminal activity. That is why I support H.R. 2905, ``Justice for Victims of IRS Scams and Identity Theft Act of 2018.''

Mr. Speaker, in closing I want to emphasize how important it is that we take important measures to protect against all forms of identity theft.

Identity theft can occur in many settings. It can occur in public places where criminals watch you from a nearby location as you punch in your credit card number or listen in on your conversation if you give your credit-card number over the telephone. It can also occur if you receive applications for ``pre-approved'' credit cards in the mail but discard them without tearing up the enclosed materials. Many people's information is stolen when they respond to spam emails that promise them some benefit but requests identifying data. In some cases, criminals reportedly have used computer technology to steal large amounts of personal data.

With enough identifying information about an individual, a criminal can take over that individual's identity to conduct a wide range of crimes. False applications for loans and credit cards, fraudulent withdrawals from bank accounts, fraudulent use of telephone calling cards, or online accounts. The consequences of identity theft can be severe and can leave a person with no funds to pay for everyday living costs. Identity fraud can have a significant effect on your credit history. If an identity thief uses your existing credit or applies for new credit, this could leave a footprint of debt or missed payments on your credit report. Even if the criminal applies for credit and is rejected this can still have a negative effect on your credit history as each application for credit is recorded.

It is with these concerns in mind that we act on this legislation today. I support this bill and encourage my colleagues to do the same.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 2905) to require the Attorney General to establish procedures for expedited review of the case of any person who unlawfully solicits personal information for purposes of committing identity theft, while purporting to be acting on behalf of the IRS, and for other purposes, as amended.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on H.R. 2905, currently under consideration.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, identity theft is a problem across the United States. It affects millions of Americans each year. A recent study found that $16 billion was

stolen from more than 15 million American consumers in 2016.

In the last several years, sophisticated phone scams targeting taxpayers, including recent immigrants and elderly persons, have been prevalent throughout the United States. Callers claim to be IRS employees using fake names and bogus IRS identification badge numbers. The fraudsters sometimes know a lot of information about the targets, and they may even alter the caller I.D. to make it look like the real IRS is calling them.

Victims are told they owe money to the IRS and that it must be paid promptly through a gift card or wire transfers. Victims are threatened with arrest, deportation, or suspension of a business or driver's license. In many cases, the caller becomes hostile and insulting. In an effort to trick victims into sharing private information, these thieves sometimes claim that the refunds are ready for deposit. If the phone isn't answered, the scammers leave an urgent callback request.

These crimes must be prosecuted in order to protect victims and bring scheming criminals to justice. I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 2905, the Justice for Victims of IRS Scams and Identity Theft Act, which will help Congress better understand how many identity theft crimes are being prosecuted, as well as ways to prevent these crimes, bolster assistance that is made available to victims, and go after the thieves.

I thank Congressman David Young for his work on this bill, which will protect American consumers, and I urge the Senate to take it up without delay.

Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the gentleman from Iowa (Mr. Young), the author of this bill.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the remainder of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I thank Mr. Young from Iowa and Ms. Sinema from Arizona for this bipartisan legislation; the chairman of the Judiciary Committee for bringing this to the floor; and my friend, Ms. Jackson Lee, from Houston, Texas, for supporting this legislation as well.

Mr. Speaker, when the phone rings and a person answers it, if somebody on the other end says they are from the IRS, that brings fear and trepidation into the soul of whoever answers the phone. People fear the IRS for a multitude of reasons, so they become vulnerable to a thief who identifies themselves as an IRS agent and want to do the right thing. They don't want to go to jail for an IRS violation, so they cooperate with this criminal on the other end who is a smooth- talking criminal thief, who is trying to steal money from this person.

As Ms. Jackson Lee said, many times these are the elderly. These are people who have tried to save money over the years; and now the IRS, they think, is coming after them, and they want to cooperate because they want to follow the law.

These scammers are just, to me, some of the worst people in our society. As a former judge and prosecutor, I don't like thieves--people who steal from others--especially vulnerable people.

This legislation helps in a couple of ways, several ways. It helps the victims understand what their responsibility is, and is not, when somebody calls. But it also lets those thieves out there in our country, and other countries, know that we are going to go after them. I mean, $16 billion stolen in one year from 15 million Americans. That is a lot of money. That is a lot of money even for the government.

This legislation is vital, it is good legislation, it is bipartisan legislation, and it should pass quickly. The Senate, down the hallway, should take up this bill and pass it as well.

And that is just the way it is.

Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.

Mr. Speaker, I thank both of my colleagues from Texas for their support of this measure.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of my bipartisan bill, H.R. 2905, the Justice for Victims of IRS Scams and Identity Theft Act of 2018.

Scams and identity theft are increasingly complex and growing problems. Americans lose billions of dollars to criminals--my colleague called them con artists; that is what they are--executing identity theft and fraud each year. Many in the Third District of Iowa have spoken to me about their fear of having their identity, bank or credit card numbers, and other personal information stolen.

Mr. Speaker, imagine getting a call from your bank or credit card company explaining your information has been stolen. Or imagine having a Federal agent knock on your door because someone stole your name, Social Security number, or banking information.

This reality can turn a family's world upside down. Millions of Americans have gotten that call, and many have lost everything because of identity theft.

The Justice for Victims of IRS Scams and Identity Theft Act of 2018 requires the Attorney General and Treasury Secretary to create and submit reports to Congress about identity theft and fraud across the United States.

In 2016, the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration, Russell George, said Americans submit up to 14,000 complaints about IRS impersonation scams every week. He also said IRS impersonation scams were ``the largest, most pervasive impersonation scam in the history of the agency.'' This is serious. These scams are indiscriminate and can impact any person at any time.

The report submitted to Congress by the Attorney General as a result of my bill--this bipartisan bill--will contain the number of defendants referred to the Department of Justice for identity theft and fraud, a map of the United States which shows where cases were referred from, and the rate of conviction for cases prosecuted.

This bill also recommends the Attorney General provide information on how to improve collaboration with other Federal agencies and discuss trends in identity theft and fraud cases. The Department of Justice should suggest what we can do to deter criminals and prevent identity theft from happening.

The report from the Treasury Secretary will contain what efforts the Secretary has undertaken in the prosecution of IRS impersonation cases and recommendations for resources needed to assist victims of these crimes.

As founder of the Bipartisan Task Force to Combat Identity Theft and Fraud, I have compiled helpful resources to ensure all Iowans and Americans have the tools and resources they need to stay informed and protected from these scams. I know my colleagues do this, as well, for their constituents.

The reports from the Attorney General and Treasury Secretary will help Americans protect themselves and give Members of Congress the tools we need to better protect our bosses: our constituents.

Mr. Speaker, fighting these criminals starts with knowing what is out there and being as prepared as possible, which is why I encourage my colleagues to join me in support of this bipartisan bill.

Mr. Speaker, on April 18, 2018, I was attending the funeral of fallen Officer Sean Gannon of the Yarmouth Police Department who was killed in the line of duty. I was therefore unable to be present for the vote on the motion on ordering the previous question on H. Res. 831, the rule providing for consideration of both H.R. 5444 and H.R. 5445. Had I been present for Roll Call No. 143, I would have voted ``NAY.''

I was also unable to be present for the vote on passage of H. Res. 831, the rule providing for consideration of the bill H.R. 5444 Taxpayer First Act, and providing for consideration of the H.R. 5445 21st Century IRS Act. Had I been present for Roll Call No. 144, I would have voted ``NAY.''

I was also unable to be present for the vote on passage of H.R. 5445, the 21st Century IRS Act, offered by Mr. Bishop of Michigan. Had I been present for Roll Call No. 145, I would have voted ``AYE.''

I was also unable to be present for the vote on passage of H.R. 5444, the Taxpayer First Act, offered by Mr. Jenkins of Kansas. Had I been present for Roll Call No. 146, I would have voted ``AYE.''

I was also unable to be present for the vote on passage of H.R. 2905, the Justice for Victims of IRS Scams and Identity Theft Act of 2018, as amended, offered by Mr. Young of Iowa. Had I been present for Roll Call No. 147, I would have voted ``AYE.''

Mr. Speaker, on April 18, I was not present for Roll Call vote 147. Had I been present, I would have voted ``Aye'' on the motion to suspend the rules and pass H.R. 2905, the Justice for Victims of IRS Scams and Identity Theft Act of 2018.