ADVISORY/Experts Available to Discuss Study on Identity Theft.

Business Editors

ADVISORY...

--(BUSINESS WIRE)

TOPIC: The Federal Trade Commission conducted a survey of 4,057 U.S. adults and found that one in eight were victims of identity theft in the last five years, according to an article by CNN.com. In 2002, 9.9 million people experienced identity theft, which amounted to $5 billion in out-of-pocket expenses for individuals and $48 billion for businesses. Credit card theft was the most commonly reported type of identity theft and was followed by unauthorized purchases on an existing account and bank fraud. According to the survey, 38 percent of the victims did not report the crime to authorities.

EXPERTS: ExpertSource can offer several highly qualified experts to comment on this story:

Larry Gilbert, CEO of Identico Systems, is a sought after expert on how organizations can effectively implement solutions that minimize the escalating risks associated with stolen, fraudulent and unverified identity without gaining the "Big Brother" stigma. Consumers, businesses and government can no longer afford the financial losses and security risks of identity theft and fraud, and the outdated approach to verifying easily counterfeited financial and identification documents is no longer effective against today's technology-enabled identity criminal. Gilbert can offer insight into biometrics, smart card and other identity verification technologies and the potential impact technology they could have on domestic and corporate security. PR Contact: Kim Baker, 781-684-0770, [e-mail]

Julie Larson is a federal postal inspector with the U.S. Postal Service. She has 15 years of law enforcement experience and is an expert regarding identity theft. PR Contact: Sara Hyde, 916-456-0880, [e-mail]

Diane Terry is one of the nation's foremost authorities on credit fraud and identity theft. During her more than 20 years of experience in this field she has played an important role in numerous major fraud investigations; advised federal, state and local law enforcement agencies; taught courses in financial crimes; and written extensively on the subject of credit fraud and identity theft. Currently, she is director of the company's Fraud Victim Assistance Department (FVAD), having founded it in 1992. The FVAD is a one-of-a-kind investigative unit, staffed by over 100 TransUnion employees. They work hand-in-hand with local, state and federal authorities, analyzing documentation of credit-fraud and identity-theft cases provided by victims. They assist authorities in developing leads to apprehend perpetrators; they accompany police investigators working under search warrants; and they help sift through and identify evidence for use in criminal prosecutions. They also testify in criminal trials. For the past eighteen years Terry has worked with local law enforcement, the U.S. Secret Service, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service and the U.S. Attorney General's Office representing TransUnion in major fraud investigations. A number of these have resulted in high-profile arrests and convictions. Terry teaches a law enforcement post-certification class on credit fraud and identity theft to law enforcement officers in California and has recently become an instructor for the Department of Justice economic crimes class. PR Contact: Jeffrey Junkas, 312-985-3859, [e-mail]

ExpertSource cannot guarantee the immediate availability of these experts or their familiarity with this specific issue.

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