New Web Site Aims to Educate and Build Confidence in Identity Theft Protection
ITASCA, Ill., Sept. 7 /PRNewswire/ -- A new survey conducted by the nonprofit Identity Theft Resource Center (ITRC) and Fellowes, Inc., the leading shredder manufacturer, reveals that Americans have misunderstandings of identity theft that leave them vulnerable to the crime. In an effort to clear up the confusion, a new Web site, www.idconfidence.org/ , is launching to educate consumers about the threat of identity theft.
The primary feature of the new site is a unique quiz that assesses users' day-to-day habits that could be increasing their vulnerability to identity theft. After taking the quiz, users receive a vulnerability score and personalized protection tips based on their responses. For each answer given, respondents receive an explanation of why they're vulnerable and a tailored suggestion on how to change their habits. Additionally, users can see how their vulnerability scores match up against the national average.
"We were surprised to learn how little people know about identity theft despite the severity of the crime," said Jay Foley, executive director of the Identity Theft Resource Center. "Through this new Web site, we want to make consumers aware of everyday practices that could leave them vulnerable to identity theft and help them do everything possible to protect themselves from becoming a victim."
The new site offers tips for protecting against identity theft, such as checking your credit report annually, removing all cards containing social security information from your wallet and shredding all sensitive documents with a confetti-cut shredder. Because shredding is one of the easiest and most effective ways to prevent identity theft, Web site users can also sign up to win a free Powershred DS1 personal shredder from Fellowes, Inc. In addition, users can get advice on what to keep and what to shred, including information on how long to keep certain documents before discarding them. Finally, users can view the common myths about identity theft revealed by the survey.
About Identity Theft Resource Center
The Identity Theft Resource Center (ITRC) is a national nonprofit organization that focuses exclusively on identity theft. ITRC was founded in December 1999 by Linda and Jay Foley. The seed of ITRC was planted in 1997 when Linda's then employer used the information on her tax forms to get credit cards and a cell phone.
At that time, there was little information for victims to use and no network of people with whom to talk. At first, Linda volunteered with another program that had done some work in victim assistance for this crime. Very quickly, however, it became apparent that a specialized program was needed, focusing on victim assistance and serving as a clearinghouse of information.
The ITRC has received numerous accolades for its work by victims, law enforcement, businesses, legislators and governmental officials, and is a major player in the war against this crime. The national office is based in San Diego, Calif., with ITRC representatives working throughout the United States.
About Fellowes
Headquartered in Itasca, Ill., Fellowes, Inc. offers an impressive range of products to equip the workspace, including paper shredders, binders and laminators, desktop accessories and record storage solutions. Fellowes, Inc. owns and operates subsidiaries in Canada, United Kingdom, Benelux, France, Germany, Italy, Poland, Spain, Singapore, Japan, Korea, China and Australia. The company employs more than 1,200 people throughout the world and expects global sales in excess of $700 million this year. For more information, visit www.fellowes.com/ .
Source: Fellowes, Inc.
CONTACT: Lauren Sloan, +1-312-729-4226, or lsloan@golinharris.com
Web site: www.idconfidence.org/
http://www.fellowes.com/
