CHECK...CHECK....IS THIS MIC ON?????

Baffled by conflicting information, consumers increasingly drawn into web of 'theft prevention' offerings

DECEMBER 19, 2007

Excerpted Article


    They've seen the ads, heard the statistics, and read the reports. Now, many consumers are

 officially afraid of identity theft -- and they're creating a wave of demand for identity protection

 services. According to reports issued separately this week by the Identity Theft Resource

 Center and Javelin Strategy and Research, consumers are confused by the volume of

 information they've received about ID theft, much of which is sensationalized or conflicting. This

 confusion is leading many to reach out for identity theft services -- even though they aren't

 always sure what they're buying. "From the victim’s perspective, there is nothing glamorous

 about this crime," says Sheila Gordon, the ITRC’s director of victim services. "It takes hours of

 hard work, internal strength, time, and courage to clean up the mess left by an imposter.

 However, you rarely hear about these stories -- you hear about the exciting exploits of 'Bonnie

 and Clyde' or movies like 'Catch Me If You Can.' In romanticizing identity theft, the media

 entices novices and young adults to try their skill at identity theft and to play the role." The

 flood of information also has desensitized consumers to the threat and created apathy among

 some, the ITRC says. "The failure to believe someone could steal your identity generates

 apathy," the report says. "Therefore, individuals fail to take proactive steps to minimize risk."

 But in many other cases, the hoopla surrounding identity fraud is causing consumers to

 urgently -- and sometimes blindly -- seek protection, creating a burgeoning market for  ID fraud

 prevention services, according to Javelin, a market research firm. "Due to the confusion and

 fear of consumers, identity fraud protection services are a marketer's dream," Javelin says in its

 report. Javelin predicts that the market for identity fraud protection services will continue to

 grow at double-digit rates, with high profit margins, for the next several years. More than 33

 million U.S. adults already use a credit monitoring service, and more than 32 million use fraud

 alert services, Javelin observes. In the future, there is a promising market for data mining -- in

 which a service provider scans public information and Internet carding sites to warn users of

 potential threats -- and credit freeze services, which allow consumers to block access to their

 credit reports, the research firm says. At the moment, however, consumers don't know how to

 choose these services. "At present, the most successful identity fraud protection services will

 be determined by marketing, rather than effectiveness, because consumers are confused,

 frightened, and fraught with misconceptions," the report says. Over time, such services will be

 differentiated by price, features, ease of use, factual advertising, and the ability to prevent

 fraud, rather than just detect it, Javelin says. In the meantime, confusion likely will reign

 throughout 2008, the ITRC says. "There will be a continuation of contradictory studies with less

 agreement on victim census, cause and effect, facts, and overall cost of identity theft," the

 report predicts. "This will lead to confusion, misguided legislation, and governmental actions."





The Biggest Misconceptions about Identity Theft:
There is a lot of misinformation floating around these days about protecting yourself from identity theft. Here’s a reality check:
Can you actually PREVENT  identity theft? NO!

There are some things you can do to keep thieves from stealing your personal information from your home, your garbage, your computer, etc. (For example – be sure you shred all your bills and other papers with personal information.)
The reality is that identity thieves can find your personal information in many places (as shown above) that are out of your control.

Here's why:
Your personal information is stored on databases and computers everywhere.

Credit card companies Hospitals, doctors Insurance companies Retail stores Accountants/Tax Preparers

Banks Mortgage companies Schools Your home computer And more…

So while you can’t actually prevent your identity from getting stolen, you can protect yourself against the devastating consequences of identity theft.






So now then.  No, I am not surprised one bit!  While here I am helping families from the two LEADING crimes in the world.  Cyber crimeANDIdentity theft.  Am I in the right place at the right time?  YOU BET!

Love,
Jenn