February 7, 2007 ... Aaron Gonzales - IDENTITY THEFT IS SO MUCH MORE THAN FINANCIAL IN NATURE

Coping with ID Theft is no simple matter. Perceived as financial in nature, the consequences of having someone else assume your identity has much more far reaching consequences. Mr. Aaron Gonzales, of Pre-Paid Legal Services, illustrated that point, utilizing a PowerPoint presentation with some alarming facts.

The average victim, he said, spends more than 600 hours, over $1,400, working over several years to repair their credit record. But that's only the beginning. Often, proving you are not the one who committed crimes, and various other negative marks, can be far more than just frustrating. "With some 26,000 new victims everyday", he said, "taking action to protect yourself makes good sense."

Identity Theft has not just grown to epidemic proportions, says Aaron Gonzales, but has taken on whole new dimensions in criminal action. Gonzales, speaking before the January 12, 2006 luncheon gathering of the Sacramento Claims Association, effectively conveyed the seriousness of his warning. As Regional Manager and Independent Associate with Prepaid Legal Services, Gonzales and his organization are heavily involved in preventing and rectifying these kinds of thefts.

"The average person spends 600 hours and some $1,400..." recovering from identity theft. He spoke of the "major money for these identity criminals", and how the problem now goes way beyond past levels.

Mr. Gonzales shared information, assisted by his PowerPoint presentation, on some rather staggering statistics. The Federal Trade Commission reported estimations for 2005 that about 4 out of 10 people would be affected by some level of identity theft. Some 9.9 million people were victims in 2002, at a reported cost to the U.S. economy of $53 Billion.

The problem now goes far beyond just having credit cards stolen. Criminals now seek out whatever information they can to build a fake file on an individual's identity. One of the biggest difficulties this presents, he said, is that "the burden of proof is on you." Proving that it wasn't you can often be a challenge almost too large to overcome.

Early detection is key, he stated. Besides "shredding, shredding, shredding," he said, "keeping track of your credit record, or using a firm like his to do so for you, will help fend off attempts much more quickly, minimizing any damages you may incur. And, always keep in mind that you do not have to give your social security number out to anyone.

Pre-Paid Legal has been providing legal service plans for over 34 years and now serves over 1.5 million families. Last year alone, their 50 Provider Law Firms received over 2.6 million calls from their members!

Join us on February 7th as we learn how to deal with this growing problem.