Indiana Attorney General Greg Zoeller has launched an Identity Theft Prevention Toolkit and educational webpage to help Hoosiers protect themselves from becoming identity theft victims, detect the crime and restore their reputations.
About nine million Americans are victims of identity theft each year, according to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC). Identity theft can include stolen social security numbers, financial information and names.
“Identity theft is a real crime with serious costs for victims and that’s why our office created an easy-to-use toolkit and webpage that offers help ranging from prevention to identity restoration,” Zoeller said. “These resourceful tools now available at your fingertips could help prevent you from losing thousands of dollars, time spent repairing your name or credit and the stress of being victimized.”
The toolkit allows consumers to keep accurate inventories of the contents of their purses or wallets so they can quickly contact creditors if their information is ever lost or stolen. Consumers can also store detailed notes of all contacts with financial institutions and law enforcement agencies, including the names, dates, phone numbers and topics discussed. The toolkit also provides quick access to the major credit reporting agencies to either place a credit freeze on accounts, or to obtain a free annual credit report.
Toolkit account registration is free and users are only required to create a secure username and password.
The new webpage, accessible by visiting www.indianaconsumer.com/idtheft, also gives helpful tips on how consumers can protect themselves from thieves including online hackers. For example, you could only carry credit cards you intend to use, install an electronic firewall on your computer and use strong online passwords.
The Attorney General's Identity Theft Unit, which created the page and toolkit with the assistance of a financial grant, provides investigative services to help in the prosecution of identity thieves and provides educational resources to consumers. There has been a 134 percent increase in complaints opened by the Identity Theft Unit compared to the same period last year.
Zoeller said many Hoosiers do not know they have been victims or are at risk of becoming victims. The webpage offers information on detecting signs of identity theft through monitoring financial statements and checking credit reports.
Hoosiers can also put their identity theft knowledge to the test by playing “ID Faceoff,” an interactive game where the consumer chooses a character and helps them restore their identity by answering questions correctly. Individuals can also fill out a secure online survey to determine whether they are at a high, average or low risk of becoming a victim.
The webpage also offers information about what consumers should do if they receive a letter informing them that their personal information may have been compromised due to a security breach. Zoeller said state law requires Indiana businesses inform their customers about security breaches that have placed their personal information in jeopardy.
“Identity Theft Prevention Toolkit is the latest online service offering available to the Indiana consumer free of charge through www.IN.gov,” said Brian Arrowood, the State of Indiana's Chief Information Officer. "This was created in effort to keep customer information accurate, up to date and accessible from any device that has internet access.”
This site also provides links to additional resources for consumers, videos and identity theft articles from the office and the FTC.
