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Watchdogs Join Up To Fight ID Theft
SecurityProNews
Staff Writer
2006-07-10
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Identity theft prevention company LifeLock has joined forces with the National Crime Prevention Center (NCPC) to raise awareness of and promote the prevention of ID theft through the United States.
LifeLock and the NCPC say that ID theft is the fastest growing crime in the US, with more than 100 million people affected by data compromises in the past 16 months. This list includes children, disaster victims, veterans, active military personnel and college students. The coalition believes most other organizations focus too much on helping people after an ID theft has occurred.
The NCPC, which most associate with the animated detective McGruff the Crime Dog, says people are at more risk of ID theft than they think.
"Most of us do not realize how often our everyday actions put us at risk for identity theft," said Al Lenhardt, NCPC President and CEO. "The numbers are staggering and enough to cause concern and fear for any individual. However, we cannot let fear immobilize us. Prevention is the best tool we have to fight identity theft."
The organization stresses preventing identity theft instead of damage control after it has happened. NCPC's public education initiative consists of television and radio public service announcements, technical assistance and training for law enforcement, and resources on the issue.
LifeLock maintains active fraud alerts with the three major credit bureaus as well as ChexSystems. The company says its system makes personal information "useless" to everyone but owner of that information.
"We are extremely proud to work with the National Crime Prevention Council," said LifeLock CEO Todd Davis. "NCPC, along with their icon, McGruff the Crime Dog, is a perfect example of what a commitment to education and a consistent message will do. We look forward to joining them in the fight against identity theft by providing the preventative answer."
About the Author:
SecurityProNews is a daily online and email publication focusing on internet security issues.
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