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Investor Protection: A Survey of Oregon Adults Ages 40 and Older / Research Report
February 2008— Oregon ranked seventh in the nation in 2006 in fraud complaints received by state securities regulators. This November 2007 telephone survey found that that the majority of Oregon residents age 40 and older invest in financial securities, but few are confident in their knowledge of investing. (23 pages)

They Want to Know: The Opinions of AARP Members in West Virginia About Data Breach Notification Legislation / Research Report
February 2008— AARP members in West Virginia think data breach notification legislation is important, they support it, and they would be more likely to vote for a candidate that supported such legislation. This September-October 2007 AARP survey tapped the opinions of 1,019 West Virginia members. (18 pages)

Awareness of Security Freeze Legislation and Use of Security Freezes by Consumers Age 18+ / Research Report
November 2007— Consumers are largely unaware of their option to use a security freeze to shield their credit reports from identity thieves, according to this April-May 2007 AARP telephone survey of age 18+ residents in seven states. Older consumers report that they would be more likely to use a security freeze if the process were easier and less costly.

Barriers to the Use of Security Freezes by Older Consumers / Research Report
October 2007— Older consumers are largely unaware of their option to use a security freeze to shield their credit reports from identity thieves, according to this AARP Public Policy Institute Data Digest by Neal Walters, which also finds that older consumers would be more likely to use a security freeze if the process of placing and using it was easier and less costly. (4 pages) (Publication ID: DD160)

Stolen Futures: An AARP Washington Survey of Investors and Victims of Investment Fraud / Research Report
June 2007— Investment fraud victims in Washington State are more likely than non-victims to be male, married, and employed as well as more financially literate, according to this February 2007 AARP telephone survey of two groups of investors, 125 reported victims and 258 reported non-victims of investment fraud. (44 pages)

Investor Protection and Trust: A Survey of AARP Hawai'i Members / Research Report
April 2007— Although 67 percent of AARP members in Hawai’i invest in securities, most consider themselves neither highly knowledgeable nor confident about their abilities. Of the 700 members in this December 2006 telephone survey, 81 percent want stronger state regulations to protect all residents from financial fraud, and 84 percent favor stronger penalties for fraud targeting older adults. (24 pages)

Whose Credit is it Anyway? A Survey of Washington State Adults 18+ About Security Freeze Legislation / Research Report
January 2007— The extent of Washington state consumers’ support for legislation enabling them to have credit reporting agencies not release information from their files without their written consent – and their willingness to use this service if doing so entailed a fee – are examined in this 2006 AARP telephone survey of 800 age 18+ state residents. (20 pages)

Investor Protection: A Survey of AARP Wyoming Members / Research Report
December 2006— Two-thirds of Wyoming’s AARP members are currently investing in securities, according to this report of a recent random-sample mail survey of these members. While 16 percent of them have experienced financial fraud or know someone who has, 66 percent are concerned about becoming a victim of such fraud. (25 pages)

Caught in the NET: A Survey of Orlando Area Residents 40+ About Online Use and Safety / Research Report
December 2006— What 500 age 40+ Orlando area computer and email users do to protect their identities from thieves and avoid phishing, spyware and other Internet hazards is examined in this November 2006 AARP telephone survey of Floridians’ online experiences and practices. (22 pages)

2006 Survey of AARP Wyoming Members / Research Report
November 2006— Concerns about identity theft, work and retirement, telecommunications, and AARP’s role in these issues and their communities are explored in four reports of findings from a mail survey of 1,052 Wyoming AARP members during the summer of 2006.

AARP Election Watch 2006: Pulse of a Generation / Research Report
November 2006— Of 1,500 age 42+ likely voters surveyed between October 23rd and 29th, 2006 by AARP, 83 percent are seriously considering the rising budget deficit in their voting decisions, and 76 percent are likely to vote for candidates supporting increased domestic spending while 47 percent favor and 40 percent oppose creating a national sales tax to fund healthcare for children and the uninsured.

Caught in the NET: A Survey of Philadelphia Area Residents 40+ About Online Use and Safety / Research Report
October 2006— Computer ownership and Internet access by Philadelphia area residents age 40+, their concerns about safeguarding their personal information, their experience with spam, phishing, worms, viruses, and spyware, and the measures they take to prevent these problems are explored in this AARP telephone survey of 500 Philadelphia metro area residents. (22 pages)

2006 AARP Michigan Investor Protection Trust Survey / Research Report
October 2006— The financial investment experiences, perceptions and knowledge of 800 AARP members in Michigan are explored in this June 2006 telephone survey which found 38 percent concerned about becoming a financial fraud victim and 55 percent convinced they are more likely to become one now than five years ago. AARP MEMBER OPINION RESEARCH (15 pages)

Consumer Fraud: A 2006 Survey of AARP Idaho Members' Experiences and Opinions / Research Report
September 2006— Concerned about identity theft, 90 percent of the 1,035 AARP Idaho members surveyed by mail during March and April 2006 want their state to strengthen laws and regulations to protect consumers against this crime and 93 percent support stiffening penalties for repeat ID theft offenders. (44 pages)

Caught in the NET: A Survey of Detroit Area Residents 40+ About Online Use and Safety / Research Report
September 2006— The experiences of 500 age 40+ Detroit metro area residents with spam, phishing, worms, viruses, spyware and other Internet hazards are explored in this September 2006 AARP telephone survey which also covers the preventative measures they take to avoid these problems and where they go for help. (22 pages)

Caught in the NET: A Survey of Chicago Area Residents 40+ About Online Use and Safety / Research Report
September 2006— The experiences of 500 age 40+ Chicago metro area residents with spam, phishing, worms, viruses, spyware and other Internet hazards are explored in this August 2006 AARP telephone survey which also covers the preventative measures they take to avoid these problems and where they go for help. (22 pages)

Into the Breach: Security Breaches and Identity Theft / Research Report
July 2006— Security breaches of data files can lead to identity theft. In this AARP Public Policy Institute Data Digest, Neal Walters analyzes 244 breaches between January 1, 2005 and May 26, 2006, and finds that 40 percent were caused by hackers or insider access targeting sensitive personal information, potentially exposing 50 million individuals’ names and personal data. (4 pages) (Publication ID: DD142)

Maine Legislative Issues: A Survey of AARP Members / Research Report
June 2006— Opinions and priorities regarding consumer protection, health care, and older worker employment issues are examined in these three reports from the 2005 mail survey of 1,347 AARP Maine members.

Keeping the Wolves from Grandma’s Door: Financial Exploitation of the Elderly / Speech
June 2006— Sally Hurme, Coordinator, Outreach & Service, AARP Financial Protection, speaks at the United Nations on World Elder Abuse Awareness Day.

Fighting Identity Theft: Lessons from the United Kingdom / Research Report
June 2006— The chip and PIN system’s effectiveness in reducing several types of card fraud, including counterfeit card fraud and account takeover fraud, in Britain and other countries using similar technology – and its possible applicability to America’s identification theft problems – are examined in this AARP Public Policy Institute Fact Sheet by Neal Walters. (2 pages) (Publication ID: FS129)

Spyware and Identity Theft / Research Report
May 2006— Spyware is rapidly becoming the tool of choice for cyberthieves using the Internet to commit identity theft. This AARP Public Policy Institute Fact Sheet by Neal Walters examines how spyware is used to gather sensitive personal information from unsuspecting Internet users, and provides policy options for combating this rapidly growing crime. (2 pages) (Publication ID: FS126)

Security Freeze Legislation: Consumer Attitudes on Paying Activation and Lifting Fees / Research Report
April 2006— Delaware, Oklahoma and South Carolina are actively considering legislation to enable consumers to guard against identity theft by blocking credit reporting agencies from releasing their personal information without written consent. The likelihood of people doing so if they have to pay a fee is examined in these 2006 AARP telephone surveys of age 18+ residents of the three states.

Defending Your Financial Privacy: The Benefits and Limits of Self-Help / Research Report
February 2006— Coping with threats to consumers’ financial privacy is examined in this AARP Public Policy Institute Issue Paper by Robert N. Mayer which concludes that while individuals are taking significant actions to protect their privacy, they can't do it alone, and that businesses and government bodies must become involved in educating the public, developing new privacy protection technologies, and offering credible, well-publicized programs that lower what it costs consumers to defend their privacy. (54 pages) (Publication ID: 2006-06)

In Brief: Defending Your Financial Privacy: The Benefits and Limits of Self-Help / Research Report
February 2006— A succinct summary of the similarly titled AARP Public Policy Institute Issue Paper by Robert N. Mayer examining how consumers are coping with threats to their financial privacy. While individuals are taking significant actions to protect their privacy, they can't do it alone, the study finds, business and government need to educate the public, develop new privacy protection technologies, and offer credible, well-publicized programs that lower what it costs consumers to defend their privacy. (2 pages) (Publication ID: INB118)

AARP New York Identity Theft Poll / Research Report
March 2006— Poll results from a December 2005 telephone omnibus survey of 702 likely voters in New York (age18+) show 92 percent are concerned about identity theft and 91 percent support proposed State legislation to enable consumers to place a security freeze on their credit reports. (1 page)

Protecting Social Security Numbers from Identity Theft / Research Report
September 2005— Inappropriate use and a lack of security makes Social Security numbers (SSNs) vulnerable to access by identity thieves. This AARP Public Policy Institute Fact Sheet by Neal Walters and George Gaberlavage examines public and private sector use of SSNs and identifies policy options proposed at both state and federal levels to strengthen SSN protections. (4 pages) (Publication ID: FS122)

Gone Phishing: The Internet and Identity Theft / Research Report
June 2005— How “phishing” deceives unsuspecting Internet users into disclosing sensitive personal information is examined in this AARP Public Policy Institute Fact Sheet by Neal Walters which explores efforts by state governments and individual consumers to combat this rapidly expanding online fraud. (2 pages) (Publication ID: FS118)

Stealing Your Good Name: A Survey of Washington State Residents 18+ on Identity Theft Incidence and Prevention / Research Report
February 2005— The extent to which Washingtonians have been victimized by identity theft, their concern about becoming victims of this new and rapidly growing crime, and steps they are taking or might take to prevent their own victimization are examined in this telephone survey of 800 age 18+ residents. (16 pages)

Oklahoma Legislative Issues Survey: Identity Theft / Research Report
January 2005— AARP MEMBER OPINION RESEARCH: Their experience with – and concern about – identity theft are examined in this 2004 mail survey of 1,013 AARP members in Oklahoma which reveals where they would turn if victimized and gauges their support for laws and regulations to protect consumers from this growing crime. (27 pages)

AARP Minnesota Identity Theft Survey: A Study of Residents 18+ / Research Report
November 2004— Almost all Minnesotans age 18 and over favor strengthening laws and regulations to protect consumers by requiring businesses to notify consumers when customer information has been stolen or compromised, stiffening penalties for repeat identity theft offenders, giving identity theft victims a formal legal mechanism to clear their names, and enabling individuals to place a security freeze on credit reports. (26 pages)

Identity Theft: An Update on the Experience of Older Complainants / Research Report
October 2004— What the latest complaint data from the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) reveals about the types of identity theft crimes being reported by age 50+ victims is examined by Neal Walters in this AARP Public Policy Institute Data Digest update of a 2003 report about older victims’ of this fast-growing offense. (4 pages) (Publication ID: DD102)

Survey of AARP Members in Mississippi on Consumer Issues and Long-Term Care / Research Report
February 2004— Quality of nursing home care, pension and retirement benefit safety, consumer protection against predatory lending, affordable prescription drugs, and staying at home as they age are among the top concerns expressed in this mail survey of AARP members in Mississippi. (27 pages)

Attitudes Toward Consumer Issues: A 2003 Survey of AARP Members in West Virginia / Research Report
June 2003— Opinions and comments about a variety of consumer issues are explored in this 2003 survey of 1,125 AARP members in West Virginia. Among the measures supported by respondents are the elimination or restriction of payday lenders, consumer protections on sub-prime mortgage lending companies, and strengthened laws against identity theft. (24 pages)

Identity Theft: Experience of Older Complainants / Research Report
March 2003— Results from analysis of special tabulations by the Federal Trade Commission for AARP’s Public Policy Institute of complaint data for 2001, gathered by the FTC’s Identity Theft Data Clearinghouse, are reported in this PPI Data Digest by Neal Walters and Ann McLarty Jackson. (4 pages) (Publication ID: DD85)

2002 AARP Montana Consumer Fraud Survey / Research Report
January 2003— AARP MEMBER OPINION RESEARCH: Identity theft and telemarketing fraud are the top consumer issues of AARP members in Montana. They are also concerned about pharmaceutical firms and companies that sell their products over the phone and Internet and view them as businesses that may possibly mislead or take advantage of consumers. (41 pages)

AARP Michigan Home Repair Fraud Survey / Research Report
September 2002— AARP MEMBER OPINION RESEARCH: While 95 percent of AARP members in Michigan rate working to strengthen laws and regulations that protect consumers from unfair and deceptive lending practices associated with home repair fraud as a top or high priority, 96 percent think it is important AARP promote educational programs to protect consumers from home repair fraud. (16 pages)

Payday Loans: A Model State Statute / Research Report
October 2000— For many consumers, a payday loan at very high annual percentage rates may be their only source of credit. In this AARP Public Policy Institute report, Elizabeth Renuart of the National Consumer Law Center proposes the Deferred Deposit Loan Act as a model state statute for reducing or eliminating the practice's most serious problems and abuses. (71 pages) (Publication ID: D16954)

Check Cashing: A Model State Statute / Research Report
May 1999— This AARP Public Policy Institute report by Sandra B. Eskin includes a model state statute designed to improve the regulation of check-cashing practices, a comparative state law chart, and summaries of existing state laws that regulate check cashing. (56 pages) (Publication ID: D16910)

Home Improvement Contractors / Fact Sheet
January 1999— This AARP Public Policy Institute Fact Sheet by Sharon Hermanson and Kristin Moag identifies the range of issues associated with home improvement contracts and related predatory practices, and discusses regulatory approaches used by states to protect consumers. (4 pages) (Publication ID: FS75)