Identity Theft Program
The U.S. Department of Justice says identity theft is one of the fastest
growing crimes in the United States, with an estimated 27.3 Million victims
in the past 5 years as reported by the FTC in 2003.
Law enforcement officials and consumer protection organizations such as the
Public Interest Research Group and Privacy Rights Clearinghouse all report
that credit fraud is on the rise especially in one of its most insidious forms:
Identity Theft.
The 1990's spawned a new variety of crooks called identity thieves. An identity
thief steals/collects your personal information and appropriates it without
your knowledge to commit fraud or theft. When you write a check, use your
credit card for any purpose, apply for a new credit card, call on your cell
phone, or any personal transactions that you do not give a second thought
about. But they do, they capture this type of personal information everyday.
Identity thieves generally use this type of personal information to open
a credit card account, cellular phone service, bank accounts using your name,
date of birth and Social Security number. Then they write bad checks, incur
charges on the credit cards limits. They have the statements being sent to
a new address so that you do not see an immediate problem until you run your
credit report, see charges on your bill that you didn’t authorized or try
to acquire new credit.
The Identity Theft Program is offered through a seminar and/or a “one-on-one”
counseling service. The following topics are discussed:
- Introduction To Identity Theft/Credit Fraud
- How Credit Identity Theft Occurs
- Examples Of Identity Theft
- How To Protect Yourself
- What To Do If You Become A Victim
- State And Federal Laws Pertaining To Identity Theft
- Social Security Number
- Motor Vehicles Drivers License
- Car Dealerships & Lenders
- “Opt-Out” To Share Personal Information
- Resolving Identity Theft Credit Problems
- Special Forms For Your Use
- Alphabetized List Of Resources For Help
| 
