"Identity theft is the greatest single threat American consumers face today," said Warren Butler, CEO of Georgia Federal Credit Union. "This crime attacks the very foundation of our economy — and recent events have shown that anyone can become a victim. To help our members deal with this threat, Georgia Federal Credit Union has partnered with industry leader CyberScout (http://www.identitytheft911.com) to provide identity theft education and victim resolution services free to GFCU checking account holders."
Under the program, CyberScout's industry-leading victim resolution services will be available free to all Georgia Federal Credit Union members with checking accounts. Members will also have access to the nation's leading consumer education program on identity theft risks and defenses. The consumer education component provides members with ongoing fraud alerts, a monthly newsletter, and a dedicated web site with articles, interviews, and white papers covering every aspect of identity theft. The new program is in addition to Georgia Federal Credit Union's recent "We've Got You Covered" promotional offer of free identity theft protection for members with new car loans.
Consumer concern about identity theft has risen to a fever pitch after a deluge of revelations by ChoicePoint, Bank of America, LexisNexis, and numerous other businesses and institutions that confidential identity and account information for millions of Americans has been stolen, lost, or otherwise compromised.
"As a credit union, we have a special relationship with our members," said Butler, "and we feel a special responsibility to do whatever we can to help them defend against this epidemic — even in situations that have nothing to do with our institution. Identity theft is serious business and requires a serious response. Partnering with CyberScout is the right thing to do for our members."
Judd Rousseau, CyberScout COO and Director of Fraud Operations, emphasized the importance to members of the proactive education and rapid response provided by the new program. "Awareness, prevention, and fast, effective action in case of an actual identity theft incident are the best defense against this crime," said Rousseau. "Georgia Federal Credit Union is doing exactly what every responsible business and institution should do: putting programs into place that anticipate and respond effectively to the threat of identity theft."
"By taking this strong stand against identity theft in its members behalf, Georgia Federal Credit Union exemplifies everything that is best about the credit union movement," said Adam Levin, Chairman of CyberScout and former Director of the New Jersey Consumer Affairs Division. "Identity theft is financial terrorism. Consumers are looking to the institutions they trust to help them cope with it. We're proud to join in this effort by providing identity theft education and victim resolution to Georgia Federal Credit Union members."
CyberScout Victim Resolution and Education Services
The CyberScout victim resolution service provides:
- A personal advocate who works with the victim one-on-one until the crisis has been resolved
- Systematic notification of agencies, businesses, and institutions
- Comprehensive case file creation for insurance and police
- Preparation of all needed documents
- Credit reports from all three credit bureaus
- Fraud alerts and consumer education
- One year of credit monitoring and fraud monitoring
- A full year of follow-up alerts, phone calls, and status checks to avoid recurrence
In addition, the consumer education component provides members with ongoing fraud alerts, a monthly newsletter, and a dedicated web site with articles, interviews, and white papers covering every aspect of identity theft.
