Washington, D. C. - The Federal Deposit Insurance
Corporation (FDIC) released an on-line multimedia
education tool that consumers can use to learn how to
better protect their computers and themselves from
identity thieves. The presentation also features actions
consumers can take if their personal information has
been compromised. Identity theft continues to be one of
the fastest growing crimes in the United States, and has
ranked as one of the top consumer concerns for the past
several years. Identity theft is evolving in more
complicated ways that make it harder for consumers to
protect themselves, and easier for criminals to set up
virtual storefronts on the Internet to sell confidential
personal information.
Identity theft continues to be one of the fastest
growing crimes in the United States, and has ranked as
one of the top consumer concerns for the past several
years. The FDIC has produced a multimedia presentation
to help consumers protect themselves from identity
theft. The presentation provides information on steps
consumers should take to secure their computer and
protect themselves from identity theft, as well as
actions consumers should take if they become a victim of
identity theft.
Some of the steps outlined in the presentation that
consumers can take to help safeguard their computers and
their personal information from identity theft are:
never provide personal information in response to an
unsolicited telephone or Internet request; never provide
a password over the phone or in response to an
unsolicited Internet request; review account statements
regularly to ensure all charges and transactions are
correct; and use a firewall and anti-virus and spyware
protection software.
The DVD is titled: "Don't Be an On-line Victim: How to
Guard Against Internet Thieves and Electronic Scams" To
order free copies of Don't Be an On-Line Victim: How to
Guard Against Internet Thieves and Electronic Scams,
please visit
http://www2.fdic.gov/guard/ or call
1-877-275-3342
The presentation is also on the FDIC's website at:
http://www.fdic.gov/consumers/consumer/guard/