Arizona Bankers Association Selects Identity Rehab As Associate Member.

Identity Rehab To Offer Tailored ID Theft Detection and Resolution Services For The Arizona Banking Community

DENVER -- The Arizona Bankers Association (AZBA) has selected Identity Rehab Corporation as an associate member and the only member exclusively providing identity theft detection and resolution services.

Serving as an identity theft solution for the AZBA, Identity Rehab can help Arizona banks not only educate their staff and customers to help them understand how a person's privacy can be compromised and the consequences of such a breach - and the simple steps to safeguard personal information - but also provide identity theft detection and resolution services.

"The Arizona Bankers Association is pleased to welcome Identity Rehab as an associate member," said Tanya Wheeless, president and CEO of the AZBA. "Identity Rehab offers a victim-focused solution to identity theft that gives banks and individuals another tool in combating identity theft and fraud in our state."

According to the Federal Trade Commission, Arizona topped its "highest incidence of identity theft" list for the second year in a row. Because banks and financial institutions are usually one of the first places consumers turn to for information on identity theft, Identity Rehab is well positioned to provide the resources to help banks better prepare their staff to help their customers if identity theft is discovered.

"Identity theft is one of the fastest growing crimes in the U.S., and we have to be more diligent about our privacy," said Identity Rehab President Dick Hall. "Americans are facing an attack on their personal and financial privacy unlike that seen by any prior generation."

Identity Rehab recognizes that victims are vulnerable to more than just fraudulent credit charges or financial transactions. As a result, the company utilizes detailed searches of 13 databases to monitor for irregularities on behalf of consumers. These databases - including medical records, DMV records, criminal records and others - contain personal data that can be compromised through identity theft but that does not appear on credit reports.

According to Hall, "Ultimately, banks and other financial institutions will play a large role in helping to stem the rising tide of identity crime. But as federal regulators take steps to fight identity theft, it is left up to the banks to be knowledgeable about prevention and the available resources available to their customers."

Identity Rehab will work with AZBA members to help in the fight against identity theft. Some helpful tips include:

* Educating staff: Provide training or information on identity theft to bank employees so they can alert themselves and customers of unsafe practices.

* Educating customers:Conduct informational seminars that teach customers how to identify potential threats and how to protect themselves against ID theft. Some topics are:

        -- Ways to protect yourself from ID theft and why it isn't
           just about credit

        -- Understanding how private information impacts your life

        -- How to verify if you've been a victim of ID theft

        -- Resolving issues resulting from ID theft victimization

* Encouraging online transactions: By providing online banking and/or direct deposit capabilities to customers as most ID theft victims are vulnerable due to the amount of personal data available on billing statements, credit card receipts and other paper financial documents.

* Recommending outside resources: The identity theft page on the Federal Trade Commission's Web site (www.consumer.gov/idtheft).

About Identity Rehab

Identity Rehab Corporation was created to help consumers regain their lives after identity theft. To fight the rising tide of identity theft, victims need an advocate - to sort and verify masses of personal data and certify their status as an ID theft victim, and to deal with creditors, reporting agencies, law enforcement and all affected parties to right the wrongs caused by the crime. Serving as that advocate, Identity Rehab works to detect and correct inaccurate and fraudulent information and provides ongoing data monitoring to assure that new problems are found and stopped. Identity Rehab detection, resolution and data monitoring services put victim's lives back on track. For more information, call 1-800-970-5182 or visit www.identityrehab.com.