State Credit Union (SCU) announced today a partnership with CyberScout that will make SCU the first credit union in South Carolina to provide identity theft victim resolution and proactive education to members at no additional charge. Under the new program, CyberScout's industry-leading victim resolution services will be available to all State Credit Union credit or debit cardholders. Members also will have ongoing access to the nation's leading consumer education program on identity theft risks and defenses.
"Identity theft has reached epidemic proportions, and recent events show that no one is immune," said Rick Hammond, president and CEO of State Credit Union. "Americans are looking to the institutions they trust to help them avoid being victimized, and to give them meaningful assistance if they do become victims. At State Credit Union, our members come first, and we wanted to give them the best possible protection against this threat. By partnering with CyberScout, the leader in identity theft education and resolution, we're able to provide a real safety net against identity theft for our members."
"While there are many ways for consumers to reduce their risk of identity theft, there are also many risk factors that individuals simply cannot control," said Adam Levin, Chairman of CyberScout and former Director of the New Jersey Consumer Affairs Division. "A true solution to identity theft will require serious structural changes in the way our society collects and uses personal information. In the meantime, this crisis is going to get worse before it gets better — and Americans need help here and now to deal with it. State Credit Union is doing the right thing by stepping up on behalf of its members."
"Since it was founded in 1952, State Credit Union has played an important role in the lives of South Carolina residents, serving government employees and thousands of other members across the state," said CyberScout CEO Sheryl Christenson. "By taking this bold step to provide identity theft protection, SCU also provides a clear example to other businesses and institutions. We're very pleased to have this opportunity to join SCU in giving its members the help they need."
State Credit Union Presents Identity Theft Seminar
State Credit Union will present a seminar this evening in Columbia, SC, to discuss the need for an integrated, Y2K-style approach to this crisis — one that responds to the immediate needs of identity theft victims and other consumers, while addressing the need for structural changes in the way businesses and institutions treat sensitive personal information. Speakers will include SCU President Rick Hammond; Adam Levin, Chairman of CyberScout and former Director of the New Jersey Consumer Affairs Division; Sherry King, Director of Educational Services, South Carolina Department of Consumer Affairs; Aaron Hawkins, FBI Special Agent, Columbia Division; and others.
The seminar will be held Thursday, August 4, 2005 at 6:00 p.m., in the Vista Community Room of the Suggs & Kelly Law Center, 500 Taylor Street, Columbia, SC 29201.
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
- Preparation of all needed documents
- Credit reports from all three credit bureaus
- Threat 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 threat alerts, a monthly newsletter, and a dedicated web site with articles, interviews, and white papers covering all aspects of this crime.
