IDTheftInfo.org

Consumer Resources
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1. General Information


Call For Action, a nonprofit network of consumer hotlines, offers basic information in Identity Theft – Your Good Name Gone Bad!

Consumer Action’s ID Theft Library has consumer education materials, teaching guides, and even a Fraud Bingo Game. Many of this nonprofit organization’s materials are in multiple languages; use the Quick Menu to the right to find other languages.

Consumer Action's Privacy Information Project website contains privacy news and resources.

Consumer Federation of America provides fact sheets and tips about privacy, security and identity theft on its website.

The Federal Trade Commission’s central Identity Theft Website provides comprehensive information for consumers and businesses and links to publications. Information for consumers is in English and Spanish.

Fact sheets, alerts, and other materials about Privacy and Security are also available.

The nonprofit Identity Theft Resource Center offers tips, tests, form letters and other materials in its Document Catalogue.

Privacy Rights Clearinghouse, a nonprofit information and advocacy organization, devotes a section of its website to information about Identity Theft & Data Breaches.

A report from U.S. PIRG explains why placing a security freeze on your credit reports is the only way to prevent new account fraud and provides instructions for how to do it. The organization also provides tips on how to avoid ID theft. 


2. Children


The Federal Trade Commission provides information for families about Children’s Privacy, questions to ask about Student Surveys, and the scoop on What’s Behind Ads for a New Credit Identity?

Go to the nonprofit Identity Theft Resource Center’s Teen Space for tips and tests for young adults. There are also fact sheets about child identity theft in the Document Catalogue.

The Report on Child Identity Theft from the Carnegie Mellon University CyLab describes how identity thieves are targeting children for unused Social Security numbers.


3. Data Breaches


Free counseling for identity theft victims is available from the nonprofit Identity Theft Council.

The nonprofit Identity Theft Resource Center produces annual reports about Data Breaches.

Privacy Rights Clearinghouse, a nonprofit information and advocacy organization, tracks a Chronology of Data Breaches.


4. Medical Privacy and Identity Theft


Go to the nonprofit Identity Theft Resource Center for advice about Correcting Misinformation on Medical Records.

The Federal Trade Commission offers information about Medical Identity Theft: How to Minimize Your Risk

Get Medical ID Theft/Fraud Information from the U.S. Department of Health and Human ServicesLearn how to spot and report fraud related to the Affordable Care Act

Privacy Rights Clearinghouse, a nonprofit information and advocacy organization, offers information about Medical Privacy.

Check out the nonprofit World Privacy Forum’s Medical Identity Theft Information Page.


5. Online Privacy and Security


Watch Consumer Federation of America’s Get Smart video and read the tips to learn how to protect yourself and the people you care about from ID theft and fraud when you use your smartphone, laptop, notebook or other computing device.

The nonprofit Identity Theft Resource Center offers tips on Social Networking and Identity Theft and how to use Blog Sense to protect your personal information when you are communicating on blogs.

Wise Up about Wi Fi: Tips for Using Public Wireless Networks from the Federal Trade Commission will help you keep your personal information secure when you’re using Wi Fi.

If you’re getting rid of your old computer, read the Federal Trade Commission’s The Download on Disposing of Your Old Computer.

Privacy Rights Clearinghouse, a nonprofit information and advocacy organization, provides information about Online Privacy & Technology.

Go to the U.S. Government Online Privacy and Security Portal, OnGuard Online, for comprehensive information about safeguarding your personal information when you’re on the Internet.


6. Disposing of Personal Information Safely


Getting rid of your old cell phone or computer? Follow the Federal Trade Commission’s advice in The 411 on Disposing of Your Old Cell Phone and The Download on Disposing of Your Old Computer.

The nonprofit organization Earthworks can help you recycle your cell phone, PDA or pager with your personal information removed.


7. Military


The Federal Trade Commission offers advice for Military Personnel & Families Fighting Back Against Identity Theft and warns vets to Delete Unsolicited Offers by Email; Don’t Disclose Personal Information to Unsolicited Callers.


8. Scams


The Federal Trade Commission provides tips on many different types of scams that identity thieves use to try to get your personal information:

Hoax Targets Elderly African Americans

File Segregation: New ID is a Bad Idea

Extra Extra! Count on Scammers and Schemers to Follow the News

Pretexting: Your Personal Information Revealed

What’s Behind Ads for a New Credit Identity?

Avoiding Credit or Charge Card Fraud

Suspect a Health Care Scam?


9. ID Theft Quizzes


Take these quizzes and see how prepared you are to thwart identity theft! 

Test your Identity Theft knowledge by participating in any or all of the following Identity Theft Quizzes.

1. Learn how to keep your wireless Internet connection secure and fend off intruders by taking the Federal Trade Commission’s Invasion of the Wireless Hackers Quiz.

2. Don’t let spyware sneak onto your computer to give others a peek at information you enter online. Get wise to the spyware guise by taking the Federal Trade Commission’sBeware of Spyware Quiz.

3. The techie spy and his cunning crew are out to get your personal information. Stop them cold and prove you’re ready to protect yourself online by cracking the Federal Trade Commission’s Case of the Cyber Criminal Quiz.

4. You’re in big trouble at work because your laptop’s been stolen and the information on it wasn’t secure. It won’t happen again if you take the Federal Trade Commission’sMission: Laptop Security Quiz.

5. Phishers are looking to lure you into providing your personal information with bogus emails and pop-ups. Will you take the bait or live to swim another day? Find out by taking the Federal Trade Commission’s Phishing Scams Quiz.

6. Are you at risk for identity theft? Take the Privacy Rights Clearinghouse Identity Theft IQ Test to see how you rate.

7. Pretend that your identity’s been stolen and learn how to get it back by correctly answering questions in the Federal Trade Commission’s ID Theft Face-Off Quiz.

8. There's no guarantee that you won't become an ID theft victim, but Rutgers University's Identity Theft Risk Assessment Quiz can assess your risk of having your identity stolen.

9. With so many websites requiring personal information to access their services, digital ID theft is a real danger. The Identity Theft Resource Center's Information Safety Quiz shows how to minimize the chance of your personal details falling into the wrong hands.