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As the rate of identity theft incidents continue to rise, consumers are becoming more and more vulnerable to identity theft and identity fraud. During National Consumer Protection Week, March 7 - 13, consumers should be aware of the protections available to help safeguard their personally identifiable information.
 The National Crime Prevention Council (NCPC) and LifeLock, Inc. (www.lifelock.com), the industry leader in identity theft protection, have aligned to produce an identity theft protection toolkit, Identity Smart: A Guide for Consumers to Help Protect Against Identity Theft. Available online beginning March 8, Identity Smart addresses education, protection and remediation issues related to identity theft and identity fraud.
“National Consumer Protection Week is the appropriate time to turn the spotlight on this invasive crime,” said Ann M. Harkins, President and CEO of NCPC. “As the numbers continue to rise, we are working hard to educate and prevent consumers from being victimized by identity theft and identity fraud. Through our partnership with LifeLock, we have developed a comprehensive guide for consumers to help them understand their vulnerabilities and learn how to protect what matters most to them.”
As many as 11.1 million Americans were estimated to be victims of identity fraud in 2009, according to the 2010 Identity Fraud Survey Report produced by Javelin Strategy & Research. While the number of victims increased significantly over the previous year, it is estimated that only 12 percent of victims reported the issue to law enforcement.
“While we expected an increase in the number of victims, this took us by surprise,” said Todd Davis, LifeLock Chairman and CEO. “Working closely with law enforcement, we are hearing every day about the new trends that thieves have devised to compromise our personal information and to monetize it. It is the responsibility of all who have this information, whether a public or a private organization, to share this information with consumers so that they can truly begin to defend themselves.”
Consumers, law enforcement agencies and other interested groups can download a free copy of Identity Smart at http://www.ncpc.org/topics/fraud-and-identity-theft/identity-smart.
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