According to the Federal Trade Commission
there were 674,354 complaints (246,035 for identity theft,
428,319 for identity fraud) in the United States for all of 2006.

Did you know that the Yuba City area is ranked #5 in the nation for identity theft complaints and the Sacramento and Roseville area are ranked #49?
Ranking is based on the number of identity theft complaints per 100,000 inhabitants for each Metropolitan Area.

What is identity theft?

Video A 10-minute educational video that provides an overview of identity theft and outlines the steps consumers can take

Identity theft occurs when someone uses your personally identifying information, like your name, Social Security number, or credit card number, without your permission, to commit fraud or other crimes.

The FTC estimates that as many as 9 million Americans have their identities stolen each year. In fact, you or someone you know may have experienced some form of identity theft. The crime takes many forms. Identity thieves may rent an apartment, obtain a credit card, or establish a telephone account in your name. You may not find out about the theft until you review your credit report or a credit card statement and notice charges you didn’t make—or until you’re contacted by a debt collector.

What are you doing to protect your identity?

The rigors fo military life can compound the problems that identity theft creates. See what unique steps you can take to protect you.

Identity theft is serious. While some identity theft victims can resolve their problems quickly, others spend hundreds of dollars and many days repairing damage to their good name and credit record.  Some consumers victimized by identity theft may lose out on job opportunities, or be denied loans for education, housing or cars because of negative information on their credit reports. In rare cases, they may even be arrested for crimes they did not commit.

Contact us for more information or assistance. Call 634-2863.

The FTC works for the consumer to prevent fraudulent, deceptive and unfair business practices in the marketplace and to provide information to help consumers spot, stop, and avoid them. To file a complaint or to get free information on consumer issues, visit ftc.gov or call toll-free, 1-877-FTC-HELP (1-877-382-4357); TTY: 1-866-653-4261. The FTC enters Internet, telemarketing, identity theft, and other fraud-related complaints into Consumer Sentinel, a secure online database available to hundreds of civil and criminal law enforcement agencies in the U.S. and abroad.