Student's Corner

IDENTITY THEFT RESOURCE CENTER

To all interested students, parents and teachers:

Hello and thank you for contacting us. Identity theft is an area of concern not just for adults but also for teens and children. No one is immune. The very fact that you have a Social Security number puts you at risk. Everyone should understand this crime and understand how you need to act as a responsible consumer and what companies should be doing to protect you. Our website is a cornucopia of information.

If you are writing a report, most of what you need is here. Should you decide you need further information after finishing your preliminary research, please feel free to email us. We will respond as quickly as we can. (858) 693-7935 (9am-4 pm Pacific Time), Email: itrc@idtheftcenter.org .
 

Standard Questions:

• undefined undefined What is identity theft? This question has two answers. The true definition of identity theft is when a criminal (or unauthorized person) used your information to start new credit accounts, commit crimes in your name, get loans and even perhaps a job. A broader definition includes the use of an existing credit card or bank account. Part of the difference in statistics you hear about is due to the difference in definitions. Clearly by including credit card takeover/fraud you increase the victim count considerably.
  
  
• How many victims were there this year? In 2007 Gartner's newest study said that approximately 15 million people had been victims in a 12 month period that covered 2006-2007. This was significantly higher than studies done in 2003 by Harris Interactive and Gartner Research Group which stated that there were 7-10 million victims between June 2002-2003. Since law enforcement around the country does not often collect statistics about ID theft, there is no one conclusive answer.
  
  
• What can I do to prevent becoming a victim? See our web site and view the video. The reality is that consumers are limited in what they can do. The business community holds most of our information and is the key to identity theft control and prevention.
  
  
• Is the business community responsible for this problem? The group responsible for identity theft is criminals. The business community definitely has to protect our information as do consumers. We all have to be part of the solution and not the problem. Please read In the Workplace to understand more about business responsibilities- legally and morally.
  
  
• What are common ways a criminal gets your information? See our web site. You may also want to take our IQ Test and the Business IQ test
  
  
• What is the impact of this crime financially or emotionally? Read our Identity Theft: The Aftermath studies on our website. You will find some current and insightful information there based on a victim studies we’ve done over the last four years.
  
  
• May I quote your information or use your logo for my paper? No one is given permission to use our logo. As to information, not without asking permission in writing. Please email us at itrc@idtheftcenter and state the specific purpose. We highly recommend reading the material and then rewriting it in your own words.
  
  
• Is this crime growing? In most opinions, definitely yes. Not only are victim numbers growing but the criminals are getting better at stealing information and using it.
  
  
• Where can I find more information about the security breaches I hear about? The Identity Theft Resource Center has lists of breaches from 2005, 2006 and 2007. You will find some interesting information on these lists and links to the articles that provide additional material for your reports.
  
  
• When did this crime start- historical information? Go to the Social Security Administration website – www.ssa.gov to find out about the history of the SSN. You can assume that criminal id theft has been going on since biblical times. Financial id theft- where they use your SSN probably began just a short time after the credit industry started to use this as a way to identify us.
  
  
• What does the ITRC do? We help victims, consumers, legislators, media, governmental agencies and law enforcement understand about identity theft and keep the flow of information going between these groups.
  
  
• Why isn’t anyone doing anything more about this? This is a complex crime and there isn't just ONE answer. Many groups are working on finding business solutions to stop criminal and helping victims of this crime. However, due to budget limitations some law enforcement agencies may not be as responsive to white collar crime as they are to violent crime (an understandable position in terms of public safety). ITRC does not believe that some police are disinterested in this problem but rather limited by financial and staff resources and lack of training.
  
  
• Does the Internet add to the problem of ID theft? It is a tool used by thieves but we’ve never met a computer that stole one's identity. It is safe to use the Internet assuming you understand how to use it wisely. Read about this in our Consumer and Victim Resource guides.

We recommend the following resource sites for information about privacy and identity theft:

www.idtheftcenter.org

This is our web site and contains information on prevention tips, statistics and what to do if you are a victim. Info sheets include the emotional impact of the crime, about the court experience and enhancing communications with law enforcement. You will also find info on legislation and a complete reference library.

Other sites you may find helpful:

www.privacyrights.org - It is full of information on privacy issues and ID theft. Please take the time to surf its depths. We especially recommend the sections on new entries (the most up-to-date information), fact sheets, case histories, and speeches and testimony. "Nowhere to Turn" is the most comprehensive survey/report done on identity theft victims today. Many of the speeches and testimony were created to support legislative bills.

www.identitytheft.org - created by an attorney and a nationally recognized expert in privacy and ID theft. She also offers a book for victims. Please mention we referred you.

www.consumer.gov/idtheft - Federal Trade Commission. This site contains facts and stats you may find useful.

www.pirg.org - U.S PIRG is a nonprofit advocacy organization that works for stronger privacy laws

www.ncjrs.org - National Criminal Justice Reference Service

www.gao.gov - US Government Accounting Office (facts and figures)

www.epic.org - This is a good general research area on a variety of topics

www.leginfo.ca.gov - Listing of legislative bills in California. You will find similar ones for each state.

www.senate.gov - Listing of legislative bills introduced in the U.S. Senate

www.ssa.gov - Social Security Administration (for history of the Social Security number)

www.treas.gov.usss - US Secret Service

www.fbi.gov - Info on internet fraud

www.ifccfbi.gov - The FBI and their Internet Complaint Center

Again, good luck and write us if you have any further questions after going through this.

Copyright April 2007, Identity Theft Resource Center®, all rights reserved.

Created by ITRC