Originally published July 5 2005
2004 identity theft statistics put Arizona at the top
by Mike Adams, the Health Ranger, NaturalNews Editor
According to 2004 figures released by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), Arizona is number one in the country for the number of cases of identity theft, with employment-related fraud and credit card fraud making up the largest number of identity theft complaints.
Many people don't realize that bits and pieces of their personal information can be a gold mine to an identity thief.
In fact, a person's name, address and phone number may be enough for an identity thief to commit fraud or damage a person's good name or credit.
"It's a very serious problem in Arizona," said David Mitchell, AARP Arizona State Director.
Mitchell adds that cleaning up after an identity thief can also take years, hard work and money.
In an effort to raise awareness of the rising problem of identity theft in the state, AARP Arizona has launched a campaign to inform people about this type of fraud and what people can do to protect themselves.
"The first thing to remember is to exercise caution when anything involves the release of your personal information especially your Social Security number," said Mitchell.
Mitchell suggests that people keep their Social Security card in a secure place and limit the amount of credit cards and other personal information carried in wallets or purses.
"Identity thieves dumpster dive, which means they forage in dumpsters for personal information that people throw away, they then take that information and commit fraud," said Mitchell.
To report the theft or loss of your credit card, driver's license, social security number, etc (or to get your credit report), contact: Equifax at (800) 685-1111; Experian at (888) EXPERIAN; or TransUnion at (800) 916-8800.
After reporting your case of identity theft, these agencies will forward your report to various state and local agencies around the country.
As part of its awareness campaign, AARP has joined the Federal Trade Commission in producing a free brochure that explains some steps that consumers can take to help prevent falling victim to identity fraud.
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