Zoeller: Money Smart Week is another reminder to take ownership of personal credit and prevent ID Theft

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Fraud prevention events occurring statewide

INDIANAPOLIS – Attorney General Greg Zoeller says Money Smart Week, which runs April 18-25, is another reminder to Indiana residents to protect themselves from identity theft and other financial crimes.

Money Smart Week is a national public awareness campaign designed to help consumers better manage their personal finances, as well as take ownership of their credit and information in order to guard against fraud.

“So much of our personal and financial information is stored online that we are constantly at risk for identity theft and similar crimes,” Zoeller said. “Recent breaches at well-known institutions have served as a wake-up call to everyone that our data is not safe. We need to bring that awareness to the next level and take proactive steps to protect our own identities in the digital age.”

More than 1,300 Indiana residents filed identity theft-related complaints with the Attorney General’s Office in 2014, and nearly 400 data breaches were identified. Since the start of 2015, the AG’s Office has received nearly 150 breach notifications.

Zoeller said the best protection against identity theft is to freeze your credit with the three credit agencies, prohibiting criminals from opening up new lines of credit in your name. This service is provided to Indiana residents for free through the Attorney General’s website, www.IndianaConsumer.com. A credit freeze can be lifted at any time in order to apply for new credit or a loan, and it does not impact existing lines of credit. Zoeller successfully advocated for legislation last year that allows parents to freeze the credit of their children as well.

He encouraged people to follow these and other fraud prevention tips, including:

  • Monitor bank accounts daily for unusual activity
  • Review your credit report annually
  • Watch out for scammers seeking to obtain your information over the phone or through email
  • Shred bank statements and credit card offers received in the mail
  • Only make online purchases through secure websites, and change passwords frequently

The Indiana Attorney General’s Outreach and Victim Services Division is participating in community forums across the state focused on financial literacy and fraud prevention during Money Smart Week. These events are open to the public.

Tuesday, April 21

  • Money, Jobs and Education Fair – 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Fort Wayne Urban League, 2135 S. Hanna St., Fort Wayne, IN. For information, contact the Fort Wayne Urban League at 260-745-3100.
  • Identity Theft Prevention Workshop – 4 to 7 p.m. at the John H. Boner Community Center, 2236 East 10th St., Indianapolis, IN 46201. For information, call Indiana Legal Services at 317-631-9410 ext. 2249.

Wednesday, April 22

Thursday, April 23

Friday, April 24

  • Senior Day – 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at the John H. Boner Community Center, 2236 East 10th St., Indianapolis, IN 46201. For Information call Indiana Legal Services at 317-631-9410.

The Attorney General’s Identity Theft Unit was created in 2008 to help victims of identity theft, assist law enforcement in the investigation and prosecution of identity theft suspects, and review data breaches that impact Indiana consumers. The Office enforces the Disclosure of Security Breach law, which requires businesses to inform customers about security breaches that have placed their personal information in jeopardy. The Office can seek up to $150,000 for data breaches that have not been properly disclosed to Indiana customers. In 2014, the Identity Theft Unit helped to return $679,154 to Indiana residents harmed by identity theft or a data breach.

For more tips on preventing and recovering from identity theft, visit www.IndianaConsumer.com. More information about national Money Smart Week can be found at www.moneysmartweekpartners.org.

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