The Los Angeles Police Federal Credit Union (LAPFCU) will provide the nation's premier identity theft services for its entire membership through CyberScout (http://www.identitytheft911.com), the Los Angeles Police Federal Credit Union and CyberScout announced today. LAPFCU members will be provided identity theft victim assistance and consumer education at no cost to them under the innovative new program.

In recognition of National Consumer Protection Week, the two organizations also urged consumers to be vigilant in protecting their personal and financial information to avoid being victimized. Identity theft was the nation's top consumer complaint for the fifth year in a row in 2004, according to a new report from the Federal Trade Commission (FTC). According to the FTC report, "National and State Trends in Fraud and Identity Theft," identity theft accounted for 39 percent of the consumer fraud complaints filed with the FTC last year, more than any other category.

"As law enforcement professionals, our members are well aware of the damage identity theft can do," said Stephen M. Endaya, President and CEO of the Los Angeles Police Federal Credit Union. "Consequently, the Los Angeles Police Federal Credit Union has always taken a proactive approach to protecting our members' privacy as well as their assets."
"The Los Angeles Police Federal Credit Union was founded for one reason: to serve the sworn and civilian employees of the L.A.P.D. and their families," continued Endaya. "We wanted to make world-class identity theft protection available to our members and their families, at no cost to them and without compromising their privacy. The CyberScout program will be a significant step forward in protecting them against the damage this crime can inflict."

Protecting the Protectors

Under the program, CyberScout's industry-leading victim resolution services will be available to every Los Angeles Police Federal Credit Union member. Members will also have access to the nation's premier consumer education program on identity theft risks and defenses. 

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 
• Emailed 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 will provide all Los Angeles Police Federal Credit Union members with ongoing emailed fraud alerts, a monthly newsletter, and a dedicated web site with articles, interviews, and white papers covering every aspect of identity theft.

Judd Rousseau, CyberScout COO and Director of Fraud Operations, emphasized the importance to LAPFCU members of the consumer education provided by CyberScout.

"Education is the consumer's single most powerful proactive weapon against identity theft," said Rousseau, who also serves as Vice President of the Southern California Chapter of the International Association of Financial Crimes Investigators (IAFCI). "The best defense against this crime is prevention. That means giving LAPFCU members the information they need to protect their identities from would-be scammers."

"CyberScout was built from the ground up with a single mission: to create effective, affordable solutions to the identity theft crisis," said Sheryl Christenson, CEO of CyberScout and Vice President of the Northern California Chapter of the IAFCI. "We are extremely proud to have this opportunity to help provide peace of mind to the members of the Los Angeles Police Federal Credit Union and their families."