The Web site includes information on how identity theft occurs, prevention tips, steps to take if you become a victim, statistics, and information for law enforcement agencies that investigate these types of crimes.
In addition, IdentityTheftActionPlan.com provides a downloadable identity theft action plan to help citizens better manage their personal and financial information and be prepared to respond effectively should they become a victim.
By developing a personal identity theft action plan, citizens can document the financial institutions that issue their credit and bank cards, and the fraud reporting numbers for those businesses. It also includes information on filing a police report, filing a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission, which tracks incidents of identity theft, and filing reports for lost or stolen driver's licenses, state-issued photo identification cards, health insurance cards, Social Security cards and passports.
Anyone can be the victim of identity theft. In 2004, Walter M. Phillips Jr., the Chairman of PCCD, the agency that developed the Web site, had his identity stolen.
"I came home one night to find a message on my answering machine from a bank I had never heard of, asking when I was going to make a payment on my new car," Chairman Phillips said. "The problem was I had not purchased a new car."
Phillips came to learn that someone stole his identity to purchase a new $50,000 luxury car. Police eventually tracked down and arrested the culprit.
"I can tell you from personal experience that the faster you can detect and report identity fraud, the less damage you will suffer," Phillips said. "I encourage all citizens to take five minutes to fill out the action plan so you have all of your important information in one place if you ever need it. Should you become a victim, it will give you peace of mind that you have the document."
According to the 2006 Identity Fraud Consumer Report:
- During 2006, nearly 8.9 million Americans, or 4 percent of the population, will become victims of identity fraud.
- The average fraud amount per victim is $6,383.
- The average out-of-pocket expense to consumers is $422.
- The average time to resolve the situation is 40 hours.
- The faster fraud is detected, the lower the fraud amount and consumer costs.
- Forty-seven percent of cases are detected by the victim and self-detection results in lower consumer costs.
- The most common way that identity theft happens is through lost or stolen wallets, checkbooks, credit/debit cards.
