Blogging for Change

Protect Your Identity Week: Resources

by Kim McGrigg on
10/24/2008
in Consumer Protection

Preventing identity theft is so important because recovering from it can be so very hard. In fact, 10 percent of all victims spent at least 55 hours resolving their problems. The top 5 percent of victims spent at least 130 hours. For information about preventing and recovering from identity theft, check out the following resources.

-October 19-25 is National Protect Your Identity Week. The National Foundation for Consumer Credit spearheaded this initiative designed to bring identity theft awareness and prevention programs to consumers. Information can be found at ProtectYourIDNow.org.

-The Consumer Information Center, part of the federal government's General Services Administration offers a variety of publications to help consumers make smart choices and understand their rights. Many publications are free by writing CRH, Pueblo, CO 81009, by calling the toll free number 888-8PUEBLO or visiting Pueblo.gsa.gov.

-The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) enforces federal consumer protection laws that prevent fraud, deception and unfair business practices. The FTC’s Web site at FTC.gov is full of useful consumer information. You can also reach the FTC by calling 877-FTC-HELP. Although the FTC does not act to resolve individual problems, it does look for patterns of possible law violations.

-Because lending and collection laws vary from state to state, you may want to learn about your state’s laws. Each state has one or more agencies dedicated to protecting consumers. Many of these offices are housed in the Office of the Attorney General. To find the consumer protection offices nearest you, visit ConsumerAction.gov.

-The official Web portal for the U.S. government, USA.gov links you to government representatives, services and information at the federal, state and local level. You can get easy-to-understand information from the government 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

-The National Fraud Information Center gives consumers the information they need to avoid becoming victims of telemarketing and Internet fraud and to help them get their complaints to law enforcement agencies quickly and easily. Visit them on the Web at Fraud.org.

Kim McGrigg is the former Manager of Community and Media Relations for MMI.

Recommended Articles

Man sitting in front of pile of bills, trying to understand his options.
Professional Budget Advice
Make the most of every dollar and start building toward your dreams! Budget counseling is FREE and available 24/7.
Learn More
Learn more
  • Better Business Bureau A+ rating Better Business Bureau
    MMI is proud to have achieved an A+ rating from the Better Business Bureau (BBB), a nonprofit organization focused on promoting and improving marketplace trust. The BBB investigates charges of fraud against both consumers and businesses, sets standards for truthfulness in advertising, and evaluates the trustworthiness of businesses and charities, providing a score from A+ (highest) to F (lowest).
  • Financial Counseling Association of America Financial Counseling Association of America
    MMI is a proud member of the Financial Counseling Association of America (FCAA), a national association representing financial counseling companies that provide consumer credit counseling, housing counseling, student loan counseling, bankruptcy counseling, debt management, and various financial education services.
  • Trustpilot Trustpilot
    MMI is rated as “Excellent” (4.9/5) by reviewers on Trustpilot, a global, online consumer review platform dedicated to openness and transparency. Since 2007, Trustpilot has received over 116 million customer reviews for nearly 500,000 different websites and businesses. See what others are saying about the work we do.
  • Department of Housing and Urban Development - Equal Housing Opportunity Department of Housing and Urban Development
    MMI is certified by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to provide consumer housing counseling. The mission of HUD is to create strong, sustainable, inclusive communities and quality affordable homes for all. HUD provides support services directly and through approved, local agencies like MMI.
  • Council on Accreditation Council On Accreditation
    MMI is proudly accredited by the Council on Accreditation (COA), an international, independent, nonprofit, human service accrediting organization. COA’s thorough, peer-reviewed accreditation process is designed to ensure that organizations like MMI are providing the highest standard of service and support for clients and employees alike.
  • National Foundation for Credit Counseling National Foundation for Credit Counseling
    MMI is a longstanding member of the National Foundation for Credit Counseling® (NFCC®), the nation’s largest nonprofit financial counseling organization. Founded in 1951, the NFCC’s mission is to promote financially responsible behavior and help member organizations like MMI deliver the highest-quality financial education and counseling services.