Recognizing the need for nationwide grassroots consumer education outreach to prevent identity theft, Better Business Bureau (BBB) is partnering with the National Foundation of Credit Counseling (NFCC) in launching the 2nd annual National Protect Your Identity Week (PYIW) October 17 – 24, 2009. During October, Better Business Bureaus will hold identity theft protection events in communities across the nation.
“We get calls from so many who have impacted by identity theft. It was really rewarding to spend a day out in the community helping people to become proactive,” said Mechele Agbayani, BBB | Central East Texas President/CEO.
Identity theft claimed more than 10 million victims in 2008, a 22 percent increase over 2007. According to a report from Javelin Strategy and Research, low-tech methods for stealing personal information are still the most popular for identity thieves. Of the cases where consumers knew how their identity was compromised, stolen wallets and physical documents accounted for 43 percent of all identity theft, while online methods accounted for only 11 percent.
In spite of doing everything right, consumers nonetheless can find themselves victimized and forced to spend time and money restoring their good name and good credit. By providing educational tools and free document shredding, BBB continues to help communities guard against identity theft.
The site, www.ProtectYourIDNow.org, features an interactive quiz to help consumers assess their risk of identity theft; videos, blogs and identity theft prevention tips. The Web site is also available in Spanish at www.cuidesuidentidad.org.