CyberScout has announced the appointment of Judd Rousseau, previously the manager of TransUnion's groundbreaking Fraud Victim Assistance Department (FVAD), as Chief Operating Officer and Director of Fraud Operations. Rousseau, a Certified Fraud Specialist (CFS) who has worked in corporate and retail security and fraud investigations for more than two decades, is nationally recognized as an expert on identity theft, fraud investigation and prevention, and the credit industry.
"Identity theft is an exceptionally heinous crime," said Rousseau. "It ruins lives, stains reputations, and tears families apart. Victims of identity theft may spend months or years getting their lives and their finances back together — and, in the worst cases, may spend a lifetime watching their backs. My position at CyberScout enables me to focus my energies and experience on fighting this epidemic, and on making sure that its victims get the help they need so they can get back to living their lives."
Nearly 10 million Americans became victims of identity theft in 2002, according to the Federal Trade Commission — 41% more than the year before — at a cost to the U.S. economy of $53 billion. New data from market research firm Aberdeen Group estimates the worldwide cost of identity theft losses to consumers, businesses, and government for 2003 at $221 billion; those losses are escalating at a 300 percent compound annual growth rate, and could reach $2 trillion worldwide by the end of 2005.
"Identity theft is serious business," said Rousseau. "To bring this crime to a proper resolution, victims need one-on-one, start-to-finish guidance by trained, dedicated experts. CyberScout has a unique commitment to this kind of ongoing, one-on-one advocacy, as well as providing the information and tools consumers need to defend against identity theft. There's no one else who takes an identity theft victim from point of impact to crisis resolution, and no one else with the connections and credibility to ensure effective follow-through on every aspect of the process. I look forward to the opportunity to help extend that level of guidance, education, and support to everyone who needs it."
Rousseau emphasized the urgent need for individuals, business, and government to mount a proactive defense against identity theft. "Defending against this crime requires a new level of vigilance by individuals, and a conscious, collaborative commitment by business and government," he said. "Identity theft is a hatchet aimed at the roots of our open economy. If business and government don't step up now, we'll end up paying a much higher price in the years to come. As part of our core mission of educating and defending consumers against identity theft, CyberScout is committed to helping to define and communicate more effective policies and practices in this area. I look forward to contributing whatever I can to this essential process."
"Judd Rousseau is both a consummate professional and a person of absolute integrity," said CyberScout CEO Sheryl Cox Christenson. "Even more than his extraordinary experience and his comprehensive knowledge of identity theft and other financial crimes, what stands out for me is Judd's passionate commitment to fighting identity theft — to helping its victims in every possible way, and to stopping the perpetrators cold. We're delighted to have him on board."
"Consumer education is a crucial element of the fight against identity theft," said CyberScout Chairman Adam Levin, a former director of the New Jersey Consumer Affairs Division. "Judd Rousseau is known throughout the consumer protection community for his tireless involvement in fraud education — for law enforcement, prosecutors, and businesses and institutions large and small. We look forward to bringing his expertise to bear in our efforts to increase public awareness of identity theft and what's needed to defend against it."
"Judd knows identity theft from every angle," added Christenson. "His insights, his working relationships, and his hands-on operational experience will be invaluable as we take the fight against identity theft to a new level."
About Judd Rousseau
Judd Rousseau has worked in corporate and retail security and fraud investigations for more than 20 years, the last five with credit reporting agency TransUnion. Rousseau, a Certified Fraud Specialist (CFS), is nationally recognized as an expert on identity theft, fraud investigation and prevention, and the credit industry. Before coming to CyberScout, Rousseau served as manager of TransUnion's groundbreaking Fraud Victim Assistance Department (FVAD) in Fullerton, California.
In his more than two decades of hands-on fraud investigation and enforcement, Rousseau has developed close working relationships with federal, state, and local law enforcement, major credit card companies, credit bureaus, and fraud departments of major banks and retail credit providers. He is the current Vice President of the Southern California Chapter of the International Association of Financial Crimes Investigators, and has lent his expertise as an expert witness in numerous federal and state court proceedings. He is well known to members of the fraud protection and law enforcement communities as a presenter whose seminars and speaking engagements have brought him before prosecutors and police officers, military service members, civic organizations, and other public groups throughout the United States. Rousseau has been an instructor for the Office of Legal Education of the Department of Justice, the Association of Certified Fraud Specialists (ACFS), the California Financial Crimes Investigators Association (CFCIA), the California District Attorneys Association (CDAA), POST's Robert Presley Institute of Criminal Investigations (ICI), the Orange County Sheriff's Advanced Officer Training Program, and many other industry and law enforcement organizations. He has also been interviewed on numerous occasions for print and broadcast media. Rousseau majored in criminal justice at Fullerton College and holds a B.S. in Business Management from the University of Phoenix.
