BILL NUMBER: S3990
SPONSOR: PARKER
 
TITLE OF BILL:
An act to amend the penal law, in relation to establishing the offense
of false pretense
 
PURPOSE OR GENERAL IDEA OF BILL:
This bill would establish a crime of false pretense, for knowingly and
without consent impersonating another person online for the purposes of
harming, intimidating, threatening, or defrauding such other person.
 
SUMMARY OF SPECIFIC PROVISIONS:
Section 1: Short title. This act shall be known and may be cited as the
"e-impersonation prevention act."
Section 2: The penal law is amended by adding a new section 190.22.
Section 3: This act shall take effect on the first of November next
succeeding the date on which it shall have become a law.
 
JUSTIFICATION:
Online predators, con artists, and cyber bullies are creating online
profiles and email addresses in order to victimize people. In this age
of advanced technology, twenty-four hour connectivity, and social
networking there are countless opportunities for bad actors to assume an
individual's identity to harass, intimidate, threaten, and defraud.
Victims are faced with emotional, mental, and financial damage. Preda-
tors assume their identity to post scandalous and inflammatory lies for
friends and family of the victims as well as the general public to see.
As social media and electronic dating becomes widespread it is increas-
ingly easy to hurt people in this way. This bill seeks to prevent this
harm by criminalizing this heinous behavior.
 
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:
2023-24: S5769- Referred to Codes
2021-22: S4789 - Referred to Codes
2019-20: S.4505/A685 Referred to Codes
2017-18: S.2848/ A4970 REFERRED TO CODES
2015-16: S.5871-A/A9843 - Referred to Codes
 
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:
None.
 
EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act shall take effect on the first of November next succeeding the
date on which it shall have become a law.