Riverside, CA – Identity theft continues to be a growing problem; the number of victims in the United States reached 11.1 million in 2009, a 12.5 percent increase over the previous year, according to Javelin Strategy and Research, with ID theft remaining the top complaint to the Federal Trade Commission. There have been breaches of secure information in nearly every sector of the business community, not just in the credit industry. ID theft also reaches into education, health care, banking, and even into government sectors. Everyone is at risk of identity theft.
“Even though the old-fashioned ways of stealing a person’s identity are alive and well, the thieves are beginning to focus on the personal information they can obtain from our everyday electronic devices such as cell phones, PDAs, pagers and even copy machines,” said Melinda Opperman, Springboard’s senior vice president of community outreach and industry relations. “We need to stay in front of this problem, there are steps you can take to protect yourself against identity theft and limit the damage, and the best way to do that is through education. We encourage consumers to attend our events and become better informed.”
Springboard Nonprofit Consumer Credit Management together with the United Way of the Inland Valleys is proud to take the lead in this area by bringing identity theft protection education to consumers. Springboard is participating in the National Foundation for Credit Counseling’s (NFCC) Protect Your Identity Week of October 17-23, 2010. Since prevention is the best answer to this growing problem, Springboard will offer the following workshops, which are open to the public and free of charge:
Tuesday, Oct. 19, 2010
Identity Theft Awareness and Prevention
Waterman Gardens Community Center
425 Crestview
San Bernardino, CA 92410
10:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
Thursday, Oct. 21, 2010
Identity Theft Awareness and Prevention
Fontana Senior Center
16710 Ceres Ave.
Fontana, CA 92335
6:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.
Saturday, Oct. 23, 2010
Safe and Secure Community Shed Day and Resource Fair
Cesar Chavez Community Center
2060 University Ave.
Riverside, CA 92507
11:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.
Free, onsite document shredding will be provided by Cintas Document Management. The public is encouraged to bring outdated financial records, including bank statements, old checks, credit card statements and offers, and other items that contain personal and financial information for free on-site shredding. Consumers will be able to shred up to five boxes of personal information and safely recycle their old cell phones for disposal.
For more information on Springboard’s local events, call 800-449-9818 or visit www.credit.org. For more information on identity theft, Springboard’s book, ID Theft: Protecting and Restoring Your Good Name, is available for free download. Please visit the “Resources” section of our website (www.credit.org) or click on http://www.credit.org/media/docs/IDT2010.pdf.
As an additional resource, or to locate events across the United States, visit the NFCC‘s Web site dedicated to identity theft education, www.ProtectYourIDNow.org. While there, take an ID theft quiz to assess your level of risk. The Web site also contains tips, statistics, and other resources to arm you against this crime.
About Springboard Nonprofit Consumer Credit Management
SPRINGBOARD® Nonprofit Consumer Credit Management is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit personal financial education and counseling organization founded in 1974. Springboard is a HUD-approved housing counseling agency and a member of the National Foundation for Credit Counseling, a national organization of nonprofit credit counseling agencies, and a member of the Association of Independent Credit Counseling Agencies. The agency offers personal financial education and assistance with credit counseling, housing counseling, debt and money management through educational programs and confidential counseling. Springboard is accredited by the Council on Accreditation, signifying the highest standards for agency governance, fiscal integrity, counselor certification and service delivery policies. The agency provides pre-bankruptcy counseling and debtor education as mandated by the bankruptcy reform law. The agency offers nationwide phone counseling services and has locations in California, Arizona, Nevada, New Mexico and Texas for in-person counseling sessions. Not all types of counseling are available in-person at all locations, please call for details. For more information on Springboard, call 800.449.9818 or visit their web site at www.credit.org.