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Welcome to IDTC
Identity theft is currently the number one crime in America. Every 4 seconds another ID is stolen. The average
cost to restore a stolen identity is $8,000 and victims spend an average of 600 hours recovering from this crime.
IDentity Theft Clinic (IDTC) was established in
response to this crisis. In the months and years to come, identity theft will remain a threat to individuals
and businesses as perpetrators find new ways to harness non-public information. But there is a way to fight
this problem. Each of us can take a role in protecting our own identities and the identities of others who
have entrusted us with their private information. Our main focus at IDTC is to give
people and businesses the knowledge (the power) to be active information protectors day to day by doing
simple things that make a big difference.
According to the FTC, data breaches in the workplace are the number one source of personally identifiable
information used in identity theft crime. For information on how your company can avoid being another statistic,
you may request a complimentary 20 minute executive briefing. The executive briefing is
specifically geared towards helping your organization plan for the process of complying with new federal
and state identity theft laws.
And we need trainers, recruiters, campaign agents, and network security professionals in major
metropolitan areas across the U.S. You don't need experience in identity theft to apply. We
thoroughly train all candidates. This a great opportunity for a leadership role. Check our
job offers page for details and to apply.
The FTC’s final rule on the Fair and Accurate Credit Transactions Act (FACTA) defines “identity theft” as
a fraud that is committed or attempted, using a person’s identifying information without authority. The rule
also states that “identifying information” should have the same meaning as “means of identification” in the
federal criminal statute defining identity theft.
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There may still be time for your busines to comply with FTC's guidelines for businesses before one of your
employees or customers has their identity stolen. IDentity Theft Clinic has issued a
BUSINESS ALERT which descibes the concerns currently facing all
businesses in the U.S. The FTC has made identity theft a number one concern. Your tax dollars
are at work establishing guidelines and a treasure trove of free useful information. But not all businesses know this.
Find out More.
Did you know that your Social Security number (SSN) can be used by someone else even if they use a
different name? Yes. Your SSN is simply a "number" according the IRS. This means that if someone is using
your SSN for work, YOU may be liable for THEIR taxes! Your SSN is not a "secret". It may be right in
plain site on documents and is on driver licenses in some states (new mandates have forced those states to make changes)! It's on your
military ID if you're in the military. Many businesses ask for your SSN when it's not necessary for them to
posess it (and even wrongful). Don't give it to them. Find out more
about how your SSN is at risk.
Senior citizens are vulnerable because they tend to be more trusting of others, have larger accumulations
of assets, don’t see credit reports regularly, have Social Security numbers on health insurance cards
(including Medicare), and often aren’t as aware of the risks associated with advanced technologies.
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• Nearly 1.5 million Californians are estimated to have become victims of identity theft
in 2007. This is roughly equivalent to every citizen in the cities of San Diego and
Huntington Beach having their identities stolen in a single year.
• More than 8.3 million Californians—23 percent of the state’s population—are
estimated to have been victims of identity theft in the six years that ended Dec. 31,
2007.
• California identity theft cost victims an estimated $749 million in out-of-pocket
expenses in 2007. Victims are estimated to have spent nearly 6 million hours resolving
identity theft issues.
• Identity theft in California has cost victims more than $4.1 billion in out-of-pocket
expenses during the last six years and forced victims to waste more than 33 million
hours trying to resolve fraud-related problems.
• The FTC ranks California as the second worst state in the nation for complaints of
identity theft per capita.
• Of the 50 metropolitan areas ranked highest by the FTC in terms of consumer identity
theft complaints, 16 were in California, which contributed the most high-ranking cities
of any state.
• Credit card fraud is the largest single use of stolen identities in California, accounting
for an estimated 337,300 identity-related crimes (23% of total) last year. Employment related
fraud comes in second, accounting for an estimated 267,300 crimes (18% of
total). The percentage of employment-related identity theft complaints is 4 percentage
points higher than the national average.
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