Identity Theft

Risk indicators for senior financial fraud and abuse: new red flags

Elder financial abuse is a terrible crime, and it has not gotten nearly the attention it deserves. Today the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) issued a important report to financial institutions about what they can do to spot this issue. The World Privacy Forum has testified about senior identity theft — including financial and medical

Public Comments: WPF files comments on proposed national identity standard, recommends changes

The World Privacy Forum filed technical comments on the IDPV National Standard Project today, offering key privacy recommendations on the proposed standard, Requirements and Implementation Guidelines for Assertion, Resolution, Evidence, and Verification of Personal Identity, version 5.3.1. WPF analyzed the proposed standard carefully, and sees the need for several changes to the standard to improve consumer privacy. In our comments, the intent is to help create a standard that increases security, trustworthiness of identities, and identity credentials while protecting individual privacy.

California consumers get new smartphone remote lock law, plus tips for iPhone users

California Governor Jerry Brown signed a new law today that requires smartphone phone manufacturers to put a “kill switch” (remote lock) in phones, and to turn it on by default. Lawmakers have stated that they see this as an important way to reduce smart phone crimes. For consumers, it’s a way to prevent our personal information from getting into the wrong hands when we misplace, lose, or otherwise are missing our smartphones. Apple users can already use Find My iPhone as a remote lock. See more …

Freshly Updated Security Freeze Resource Page

We have updated our Resource Page on Security Freezes. A security freeze is a little-known but important tool to help fight identity theft problems. A security freeze (sometimes called a credit freeze) lets you stop the disclosure of your credit report by a credit bureau. Currently, the three credit bureaus are allowing all consumers nationwide to set a security freeze for a fee. Some state laws allow for free security freezes. More …

WPF Discussing New Research in FTC Senior ID Theft Workshop

Senior Identity Theft – FTC — WPF Executive Director Pam Dixon will be speaking at the Federal Trade Commission Tuesday on the issue of Senior ID theft, and specifically, about medical forms of the crime. Dixon, who wrote the first report on medical ID theft and coined the term for the crime, will be presenting new research at the panel.