FTC Offers Information on Fraud Alerts, Credit Freezes and Locks

"After the Equifax data breach, some people are considering placing a fraud alert, freeze, or lock on their credit file to help prevent identity thieves from opening new accounts in their name.

To help consumers decide on a course of action, a Federal Trade Commission blog post, Fraud alert, freeze or lock after Equifax? FAQs, describes each option and how it works, how long it lasts, and how much it costs.

And to help business owners inform their customers, the FTC offers Fraud alert, freeze or lock after Equifax? Answers to questions people are asking you.

The Federal Trade Commission works to promote competition, and protect and educate consumers. You can learn more about consumer topics and file a consumer complaint online or by calling 1-877-FTC-HELP (382-4357). Like the FTC on Facebook(link is external), follow us on Twitter(link is external), read our blogs and subscribe to press releases for the latest FTC news and resources..."
Fraud Alerts

New Identity Theft Report helps you spot ID theft

"Do you ever hear from customers or employees who want you to know that they’ve been affected by identity theft? If so, you’ll probably start seeing them use the new FTC Identity Theft Report. It tells you that someone important to your business is a crime victim, has alerted law enforcement, and is working to resolve the financial and emotional disruption that identity theft causes.

The new Identity Theft Report is a product of IdentityTheft.gov, the one-stop resource for people to report identity theft to law enforcement and get a personal recovery plan that responds to their specific identity theft circumstances. The FTC has updated the website to produce the new Report, along with customized letters for people to use to let you know they are victims and that your business records may contain fraudulent information..."
Identity theft

IdentityTheft.gov

Take a look at the newly updated IdentityTheft.gov website from the U.S.  Federal Trade Commission.
Identity theft

Recovering from identity theft is easier with a plan.

"Did someone steal and use your personal information? Act quickly to limit the damage.

Step 1: Call the companies where you know fraud occurred.

Step 2: Place a fraud alert and get your credit report.

Step 3: Report identity theft to the FTC.

Step 4: File a report with your local police department..."
Identity theft

Identity Theft

Steps to take if you think you are a victim of identity theft.
Identity theft

Tax ID Theft Tops FTC Complaints in 2014

"Tax-related identity theft was the most common form of identity theft reported to the Federal Trade Commission in 2014, while the number of complaints from consumers about criminals impersonating IRS officials was nearly 24 times more than in 2013, according to FTC statistics released today.

The FTC, along with the Department of Veterans’ Affairs, Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration, the AARP, and other partners are holding a series of events this week designed to educate consumers about these issues as part of Tax Identity Theft Awareness Week, which begins today and runs through Jan. 30..."
Tax identity theft

Identity Theft: Trends and Issues

"In the current fiscal environment, policymakers are increasingly concerned with securing the

economic health of the United States—including combating those crimes that threaten to undermine the nation’s financial stability. Identity theft is one such crime. In 2012, about 12.6 million Americans were reportedly victims of identity fraud, and the average identity fraud victim

incurred a mean of $365 in costs as a result of the fraud.."Identity theft

Helping Victims of Identity Theft

 "If you’re a victim of identity theft or know someone who is, the Federal Trade Commission has a new video designed to help facilitators who assist consumers in repairing their identity.  Helping Victims of Identity Theft is the latest addition to the FTC’s library of resources that explain not only how to recognize identity theft, but also how to report it and repair the damage it can cause. .."
Helping Victims of Identity Theft

Taking Charge:What to Do If Your Identity is Stolen

Find information on step to take if your identity is stolen.

FTC Seeks Public Input on How Identity Theft Impacts Senior Citizens

"The staff of the Federal Trade Commission is seeking information from the public on how identity theft impacts senior citizens, which the agency will use to inform its law enforcement agenda, policy initiatives and consumer education efforts.
Seniors may be particularly susceptible to identity theft. They are often targeted for phishing scams; some seniors have granted powers of attorney giving wide access to their personal information; and most seniors' Medicare cards list their Social Security numbers. In addition, the personal information of senior citizens may be vulnerable in hospitals, nursing homes, and other care facilities..."

SEC Proposes Rules To Help Prevent And Detect Identity Theft

"The Securities and Exchange Commission today announced a rule proposal to help protect investors from identity theft by ensuring that broker-dealers, mutual funds, and other SEC-regulated entities create programs to detect and respond appropriately to red flags.

The SEC issued the proposal jointly with the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC). Section 1088 of the Dodd-Frank Act transferred authority over certain parts of the Fair Credit Reporting Act from the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to the SEC and CFTC for entities they regulate.."

Using FACTA Remedies: An FTC Staff Report on a Survey of Identity Theft Victims

"The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) maintains a longstanding and comprehensive program to combat identity theft. The FTC enforces a variety of laws requiring entities to protect consumer information and ensure that such information does not fall into the hands of identity thieves or other unauthorized persons..."

Experiences of Victims Recovering from Identity Theft

"The Federal Trade Commission issued a staff report summarizing the results of a survey of identity theft victims who were asked to describe their experiences dealing with consumer reporting agencies and, more generally, exercising their rights under the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) as amended by the Fair and Accurate Credit Transactions Act (FACTA), to recover from identity theft.The survey showed that most of the respondents were generally satisfied with their experiences, but the report also noted areas for improvement..."

Identity Theft Reported by Households, 2005-2010

"In 2010, 7.0% of households in the United States, or about 8.6 million households, had at least
one member age 12 or older who experienced one or more types of identity theft victimization (fi gure 1). This percentage was similar to the 7.3% of households that experienced identity theft in 2009. However, it represented an increase from the 5.5% of households, or 6.4 million households, that were victims of one or more types of identity theft in 2005..."

Identity Theft

Advise on dealing with identity theft from the FTC's Guide to Assisting Identity Theft victims.

FTC Testifies on Protecting Social Security Numbers; Millions of Consumers are Victims of Identity Theft Each Year
"The Federal Trade Commission today told a House subcommittee that millions of consumers are victims of identity theft each year at a cost of billion of dollars and countless hours of consumers’ time to repair the damage.

In testimony before the House Ways and Means Committee’s Social Security Subcommittee, the agency said helping protect consumers from ID theft and deal with its consequences is a critical part of the FTC’s consumer protection mission. In the testimony, the FTC recommended legislation to help mitigate the identity theft problem by making Social Security numbers less useful to identity thieves and making the numbers harder to access.."

Victims of Identity Theft, 2008
"Presents findings from the 2008 Identity Theft Supplement (ITS) to the National Crime Victimization Survey (NCVS). The NCVS/ITS used interviews from a nationally representative sample of about 56,500 U.S. household residents to collect the first BJS data on individual victims of identity theft. Identity theft is defined as the unauthorized use or attempted use of existing accounts, the unauthorized use or attempted use of personal information to open a new account, and the misuse or attempted use of personal information for a fraudulent purpose. The report details the number and percentage of persons who reported at least one incident of identity theft over the past two years, the amount of direct and indirect financial loss due to identity theft, victim reporting to credit bureaus and law enforcement agencies, and the impact of identity theft on victims'lives.

Highlights include the following:

• An estimated 11.7 million persons, representing 5% of all persons age 16 or older in the United States, experienced at least one type of identity theft in a 2-year period.
• Although the total financial cost of identity theft was nearly $17.3 billion over a 2-year period, less than a quarter (23%) of identity theft victims suffered an out-of-pocket financial loss from the victimization.
• About 42% of victims spent 1 day or less working to resolve the financial and credit problems associated with the identity theft; however, 3% continued to experience problems related to the theft more than 6 months after discovering it."

FTC Offers Legal Assistance Guide to Help Identity Theft Victims
"The Federal Trade Commission has created a guide to help attorneys and victim advocates provide legal assistance to identity theft victims.

Geared toward resolving issues out of court, the Guide for Assisting Identity Theft Victims (www.idtheft.gov/probono) describes how advocates can intervene with creditors, credit reporting agencies, debt collectors, and others, as well as self-help measures that victims can take. Victims may need an advocate’s help in a variety of situations: their age, health, language skills, or income prevents them from making effective disputes; they’re being pursued for someone else’s debt; they face uncooperative creditors or credit reporting agencies; or their case is complex.

Step-by-step instructions provide best practices for recovering from identity theft involving financial accounts, and incorporate victims’ rights under various federal statutes. The guide also addresses recovery from less common forms of identity theft, such as when a thief commits tax fraud, or obtains a federal student loan or medical services using stolen information. It includes sample dispute letters for victims and sample attorney follow-up letters to address matters victims are unable to resolve. It also provides checklists, an ID Theft Affidavit, a Victim’s Action Log, federal statutes and regulations, consumer education material, and links to online resources..."

Agencies Issue Frequently Asked Questions on Identity Theft Rules
"Six federal agencies issued a set of frequently asked questions (FAQs) today to help financial institutions, creditors, users of consumer reports, and issuers of credit cards and debit cards comply with federal regulations on identity theft and discrepancies in changes of address. The “Red Flags and Address Discrepancy Rules,” which implement sections of the Fair and Accurate Credit Transactions Act of 2003, were issued jointly on November 9, 2007, by the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System (FRB), Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC), National Credit Union Administration (NCUA), Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC), Office of Thrift Supervision (OTS), and Federal Trade Commission (FTC)..."

Social Security in Numbers: SSNs and ID Theft:Recommendations on Social Security Number Use in the Private Sector

"The President’s Identity Theft Task Force (“Task Force”) was established in May 2006 to develop a coordinated plan to prevent identity theft, help victims to recover, and prosecute the criminals who perpetrate it.1 The Task Force issued its Strategic Plan, with 31 recommendations for action, in April 2007. One of those recommendations directed Task Force agencies to study the private sector uses of consumers’ Social Security numbers (“SSNs”), develop a deeper understanding of the relationship between the SSN and identity theft, and explore approaches that would preserve the SSN’s beneficial uses while curtailing its availability and value to identity thieves.

This report answers the Task Force’s mandate. Building on extensive fact-finding conducted by staff of the Federal Trade Commission (“FTC” or “Commission”), in cooperation with other Task Force agencies, the report examines the various private sector uses of the SSN and concludes with five specific FTC recommendations. These recommendations address both the supply and demand aspects of the SSN problem by proposing actions that would make SSNs less available to identity thieves, and would make it more difficult for them to misuse those SSNs they are able to obtain."