With Identity Theft Costing Americans Billions, Help for Victims Signed into Law

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Victims of identity theft will have a single point of contact at the Social Security Administration (SSA) to help them navigate the challenges associated with a misused Social Security number (SSN) under legislation advanced by the Ways and Means Committee and now signed into law by President Trump. The Improving Social Security's Service to Victims of Identity Theft Act (H.R. 5345), introduced by Representative David Kustoff (TN-08), requires the SSA to assign a dedicated contact to track an identity theft victim's case through resolution when their SSN is misused or their Social Security card is lost in the mail.

Ways and Means Committee Chairman Jason Smith (MO-08) issued the following statement:

"The theft of someone's Social Security number can do real damage to that person's life. Cleaning up that mess should not require a call center scavenger hunt or being bounced from one Social Security official to the next. This law fixes that. It puts a dedicated team in charge of a victim's case from the first call to the last, so that families can now spend their energy getting their life back instead of repeating their story to a new stranger every time they call. I want to commend Representative Kustoff for identifying a simple, commonsense solution, and I thank President Trump for signing this into law and his continued leadership in cutting government red tape for the American people."

Representative David Kustoff (TN-08) issued the following statement:

"Americans recovering from identity theft should not have to fight through layers of red tape to receive help. With President Trump's signature, victims will have a trained Social Security Administration employee responsible for coordinating their case and seeing it through to resolution. I appreciate President Trump and my colleagues in both chambers for working with me to deliver this commonsense reform and create a more reliable recovery process."

The bill passed the Ways and Means Committee by a vote of 39 to 1, cleared the U.S. House of Representatives by voice vote, and passed the Senate by unanimous consent.

Improving Social Security's Service to Victims of Identity Theft Act (H.R. 5345):

• Identity theft cost Americans an estimated $47 billion in 2024.
• Representative Kustoff introduced the bill after hearing from constituents who described the process of resolving a stolen Social Security number as long and confusing.
• The bill was backed by the Association of Mature American Citizens (AMAC) and AARP.

Read a fact sheet on the bill here.

READ: Chairman Smith: Victims of Identity Theft Deserve Streamlined Process to Address Lost or Compromised Social Security Numbers

READ: What They Are Saying: Bipartisan Social Security Reforms Will Ensure Agency Better Serves Children, Families, and Seniors

READ: Ways and Means Advances Bipartisan Health, Social Security, and Tax Administration Legislation to Improve Everyday Lives