Imagine learning that your ten-year-old child owns a home somewhere across the country or that your toddler owes thousands of dollars in income taxes for a job he or she has never held. If those scenarios seem unfathomable, they're all too real for families whose children are victims of identity theft.
One of the most devastating and potentially deadly forms of data breaches involves stolen electronic medical records and the resulting medical identity theft. Hackers can wreak havoc by stealing your personal health information to either sell or use themselves to impersonate you when they need medical treatment. If an identity thief gets medical treatment using your name, the thief's medical information--such as test results, allergies, blood type, or illnesses--will become part of your medical file. Certain conditions or procedures performed using your good name can prevent you from being able to get health insurance or even receive the medical help you need.
Since the United States has the highest rate of identity theft compared to other countries, the FTC has been working fulltime to distribute online and print informational materials to ensure all consumers are aware of this crime. With over 20 million copies of the information booklet distributed, the FTC identity theft program is reaching one household at a time to reduce the occurrence of identity theft in the country. Private organization that help consumers fight identity theft are also using the FTC identity theft program to empower citizens in protecting themselves against the damages caused by this crime.
The "Deter, Detect and Defend" Program educates people and links to other organizations in both private and public sectors including law enforcement agencies, consumer groups, federal agencies and other trade associations to give consumers options on where to ask for help. The FTC identity theft program releases an informational kit for all organizations fighting identity theft that include a how-to booklet with instructions on educating consumers to aid organizations facilitate outreach programs. It also includes a brochure that these organizations can easily reproduce to give out to people who attend seminars and education sessions. To capture the level of damage identity theft can cause a person's life, a 10-minute video of victims is also included in the program to explain to people how to fight this crime.
For those who would like to take extra measures to ensure that their child's identity remains a blank-slate, third-party monitoring companies offer a variety of services that allow parents to keep an eye on it. Steve Schwartz, executive vice president of consumer services, for Intersections Inc., a provider of corporate and consumer identity risk management services, says his company will offer existing customers a chance to safeguard their children's identities when it rolls out its newest product, kIDSure, this fall.
One of the most devastating and potentially deadly forms of data breaches involves stolen electronic medical records and the resulting medical identity theft. Hackers can wreak havoc by stealing your personal health information to either sell or use themselves to impersonate you when they need medical treatment. If an identity thief gets medical treatment using your name, the thief's medical information--such as test results, allergies, blood type, or illnesses--will become part of your medical file. Certain conditions or procedures performed using your good name can prevent you from being able to get health insurance or even receive the medical help you need.
Since the United States has the highest rate of identity theft compared to other countries, the FTC has been working fulltime to distribute online and print informational materials to ensure all consumers are aware of this crime. With over 20 million copies of the information booklet distributed, the FTC identity theft program is reaching one household at a time to reduce the occurrence of identity theft in the country. Private organization that help consumers fight identity theft are also using the FTC identity theft program to empower citizens in protecting themselves against the damages caused by this crime.
The "Deter, Detect and Defend" Program educates people and links to other organizations in both private and public sectors including law enforcement agencies, consumer groups, federal agencies and other trade associations to give consumers options on where to ask for help. The FTC identity theft program releases an informational kit for all organizations fighting identity theft that include a how-to booklet with instructions on educating consumers to aid organizations facilitate outreach programs. It also includes a brochure that these organizations can easily reproduce to give out to people who attend seminars and education sessions. To capture the level of damage identity theft can cause a person's life, a 10-minute video of victims is also included in the program to explain to people how to fight this crime.
For those who would like to take extra measures to ensure that their child's identity remains a blank-slate, third-party monitoring companies offer a variety of services that allow parents to keep an eye on it. Steve Schwartz, executive vice president of consumer services, for Intersections Inc., a provider of corporate and consumer identity risk management services, says his company will offer existing customers a chance to safeguard their children's identities when it rolls out its newest product, kIDSure, this fall.
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