identity theft, Index

Identity Theft “The crime of identity theft undermines the basic trust on which our economy depends. When a person takes out an insurance policy, or makes an online purchase, or opens a savings account, he or she must have confidence that personal financial information will be protected and treated with care. Identity theft harms not only its direct victims, but also many businesses and customers whose confidence is shaken. Like other forms of stealing, identity theft leaves the victim poor and feeling terribly violated” (Remarks by the President at Signing of Identity Theft Penalty Enhancement Act, White House, 2004).

In May 26 million veterans were put at risk for identity theft when a laptop containing personal information was stolen. That crisis has now passed, but what can be done to keep personal information safe in the future? Welcome to Pine Valley, where townsfolk gather each morning to solve the world’s problems. The topic on this day is identity theft.

Directory of Web Links We've scoured the internet to find the best web sites for each of these topics: Identity Theft | Fraud & Scams | Internet Security | Privacy | Junk Mail, Spam, & Telemarketing | Credit

Canada Identity Theft and Fraud Stolen Identification - Immediately report stolen identification to the police. Get a police report number. Stolen Credit Cards - Report immediately by phone, and request replacements (with new card numbers.) Follow up in writing. Stolen Cheques - Notify your bank. ATM Cards - Obtain new ATM cards and new passwords.

As one of the world’s largest academic institutions, The University of Texas at Austin maintains and uses vast information resources, including personal information collected from students, alumni, faculty and staff, vendors and others with whom we do business. It has long been the university’s policy and practice to treat personal information with the utmost care and diligence. In April of this year, a deliberate theft of data from the McCombs School of Business served to highlight the necessity of this commitment. It also underscored the ubiquity, severity and sophistication of today’s threats to information security.

Links for Consumers. Links for Businesses.

Identity theft is a crime that affects consumers at home, at work, in the shopping mall or online. Vigilant consumers who exercise common sense, monitor their account status and protect their personal information are the best equipped to safeguard their identity. Safety Tips * Monitor your accounts. * Never reply to emails that ask for personal information. * Use strong and unique passwords. * Know what to do in the event of identity theft.

The FDIC has created this webpage to inform consumers of information the FDIC has made available on identity theft. Despite the efforts of law enforcement, Identity theft is becoming more sophisticated and the number of new victims is growing. In general, consumers are protected against liability for unauthorized accounts or transactions under federal and state law and by financial industry practices. However, innocent victims of Identity theft sometimes do suffer losses. And if the crime is not detected early, people may face months or years cleaning up the damage to their reputation and credit rating, and sometimes they lose out on loans, jobs and other opportunities in the meantime. The evolution of Identity theft includes the spread of fraudulent "phishing" e-mails. These are unsolicited e-mails purportedly from a legitimate source - perhaps your bank, utility company, well-known merchants, your Internet service provider or even a trusted government agency such as the FDIC - attempting to trick you into divulging personal information.

Putting an End to Account-Hijacking Identity Theft Study Supplement Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation Division of Supervision and Consumer Protection Technology Supervision Branch June 17, 2005 This publication supplements the FDIC’s study Putting an End to Account-Hijacking Identity Theft published on December 14, 2004. dentity theft in general and account hijacking in particular continue to be significant problems for the financial services industry and consumers. Recent studies indicate that identity theft is evolving in more complicated ways that make it more difficult for consumers to protect themselves. Recent studies also indicate that consumers are concerned about online security and may be receptive to using two-factor authentication if they perceive it as offering improved safety and convenience.

For Victims: * Florida's ID Theft Victim Kit * Take Charge: Fighting Back Against Identity Theft * Organizing Your Case * Working With Law Enforcement