Are You a Target?
By: Source: AARP.org Date Posted: 2006-02-17 14:11:39
In 2005, identity theft topped the Federal Trade Commission's top 10 list of consumer complaints for the sixth straight year, accounting for 37% of all complaints filed with the agency. In Massachusetts, ID theft complaints continued to rise with 3,999 in 2005 from 1,425 in 2001.
Identity theft is big business. Each year, ID theft costs businesses an estimated $50 billion, according to the Federal Trade Commission.
Those costs are then passed along to the consumer. But the main cost is to those whose identity is stolen. Victims of ID theft face months of aggravation, confusion and many hours of wasted time.
Anyone can be a victim of identity theft. It happens when someone pretends to be you, using your Social Security number, your credit cards and your bank account numbers to borrow money, open new credit card accounts or charge thousands of dollars to buy cars, clothes or vacations.
More and more AARP members are concerned about how to protect their identity.
That's why AARP has developed a new online Identity Theft Seminar.
By taking this free course online, you'll:
- Know what identity theft is
- Do a wallet check to protect yourself from identity theft
- Take steps to protect yourself from identity theft in your home and on the road
- Recognize early warnings of identity theft
- Take the first steps if you ' re a victim of identity theft
- Have the numbers to call to get help or more information.
You'll also get a link to the paper form to order your free credit reports, which are now your right under federal law.
Take the online course now. It's the first of some simple steps that you can take to help protect your identity.
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