Download the PDF: Stolen Unemployment Benefits: How to detect and resolve this form of identity theft Download the PDF of state resources: State Unemployment Insurance Fraud Resources and Links Fraudsters are taking advantage of the COVID-19 crisis to file false unemployment claims using stolen identity information. It is a particularly ...
The FTC recently announced a “phantom debt broker” settlement. Phantom debt is debt that has been fabricated and then treated as if it was real debt that could be collected from consumers. This case gives a clear view into practices that form the modus operandi for a newly emerging type of identity theft.
WPF has urged the CFPB to continue to maintain its consumer complaint database and make complaints available to the public. The CFPB is considering multiple potential changes to its consumer complaint database, including reducing access, among other potential changes. In its comments, WPF explained how CFPB consumer complaint data has ...
This data visualization maps new patterns of medical identity theft hot spots and activity in the US. The map shows how medical identity theft-related complaints have grown over time, and where they grow the most and least.
The World Privacy Forum commented in support of a proposed change to the federal rules of practice and procedure. The change would eliminate the requirement to include the last four digits of a litigant’s Social Security Number on Appellate Form 4, which is used by petitioners seeking to proceed in ...
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 ...
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 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 ...
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 ...
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.
Senior ID Theft and privacy -- Pam Dixon speaks to Los Angeles County social workers and financial abuse support teams today to share WPF's wealth of information about medical identity theft and how this crime impacts seniors. WISE and Healthy Aging is hosting this important meeting.
Medical ID Theft -- WPF has completely updated its landmark medical identity theft tips and advice for patients and consumers. "The new FAQcontains detailed advice for anyone who is a victim of medical ID theft, or is worried about becoming one," says Pam Dixon. "The FAQ and our shorter consumer tips have been updated to reflect our most recent research." In 2006, WPF published the first known report on medical ID theft and coined the term. Since then, WPF has been in the forefront of researching this crime and working to assist victims and those working with victims
World Privacy Forum information and materials on medical identity theft.
World Privacy Forum information and materials on medical privacy topics.
Consumers can learn about Medical Identity Theft, what how to avoid it, and what actions to take if you are a victim.
LifeLock -- The Federal Trade Commission began sending checks to almost a million consumers who were subscribers to the LifeLock ID theft protection service. LifeLock agreed to pay fines of $11 million to the FTC and $1 million to a group of state attorneys generals to settle charges that had been made against the company. Consumers with questions about this distribution may call 888-288-0783 or see the FTC's web page on this, http://www.ftc.gov/refunds.
ID theft -- The FTC has published a new ID Theft guide. The new guide is designed to help attorneys and volunteers who assist ID theft victims. The guide covers laws that protect victims, and pro bono legal information. A must-read for those helping victims.
Data Breach | HHS HITECH Breach Notification -- The World Privacy Forum filed comments on the HHS data breach rulemaking and asked for substantive changes in several areas. In particular, WPF asked HHS to expressly state a requirement for a breach risk assessment in the final rule itself, and to set a requirement that the risk assessment must be conducted by an independent organization. The WPF also asked that HHS set breach risk assessment standards so that there is some uniformity and guidance as to what constitutes an appropriately rigorous risk assessment when a breach occurs. In the comments, WPF also discussed the relationship between medical identity theft and medical data breach and how this impacts patients and consumers.
Consumer resource -- We have updated the World Privacy Forum's state-by-state guide on how to place a credit, or security, freeze. Only a few states are lacking a security or credit freeze law now.
OECD | Fair Information Practices -- At a key meeting of the OECD on the future of the Internet economy, the OECD Secretary General Angel Gurria reaffirmed support of the 1980 OECD Privacy Principles. Also, Secretary General Angel Gurria expressed support for formalizing the participation of civil society in OECD going forward and for paying more attention to information security and identity theft problems. Secretary General Gurria noted that "A more decentralised, networked approach to policy formulation for the Internet Economy that includes the active participation of stakeholders needs to be the norm." Many parts of the recent OECD meeting may be viewed online.
Financial privacy -- The World Privacy Forum filed comments with the Federal Trade Commission today about its proposed study of credit -based pricing practices for homeowners insurance. The World Privacy Forum requested that the FTC ask insurers if there are specific procedures in place for detecting, mitigating, and responding to consumers who have been victims of identity theft. The WPF noted its support for the FTC's use of the FTC Act Section 6(b) authority to acquire robust information from the insurance companies.
Medical identity theft update -- The Federal Trade Commission released its national ID theft survey, which for the first time contains statistics specific to medical identity theft. According to the FTC report (p. 21), 3 percent of all identity theft victims in 2005 were victims of medical identity theft, which means of 8.3 million ID theft victims, approximately 250,000 people were victimized by medical identity theft in that year alone. The purpose of the World Privacy Forum 2006 report was to prove that medical identity theft existed, and was already occurring in large numbers. At the time the report was published, the crime of medical identity theft had not been specifically studied, nor was it understood to exist. The FTC statistics abundantly affirm the thesis and conclusions of the WPF report.
Security freeze | identity theft | financial privacy -- A credit freeze (sometimes called a security freeze) lets you stop the disclosure of your credit report by a credit bureau. A credit freeze can be especially helpful to individuals who are having persistent problems with identity theft. If you live in a state with a security freeze law, then you may be able to place a security freeze on your files. This World Privacy Forum resource gives general background on security freezes, lists the states with security freeze laws, and links to more information for each state.
REAL ID | National ID -- The World Privacy Forum and the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) filed joint comments with the Department of Homeland Security about the proposed national ID system, REAL ID. The comments discuss the substantial flaws in the proposed REAL ID system including concerns about the overall structure of the program, the cards, the databases attached to the cards, the lack of controls on "function creep," the possibilities for discrimination, the potential for increased risk of identity theft, issues related to potential gaps in coverage for recipients on Federal programs, among other issues.
The World Privacy Forum filed comments and recommendations with the President's Identity Theft Task Force. The task force's draft report and recommendations did not include or contemplate medical identity theft solutions for victims; the WPF has requested and recommended that this be corrected. Medical identity theft victims need more help, more recourse, and agency attention.
