Please Join Us for the Official Launch of the Grassroots Identity Theft Victim Support Initiative in San Francisco on October 27

LAW ENFORCEMENT, GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS, SCHOOLS, INDUSTRY LEADERS, COMMUNITY LEADERS AND VOLUNTEERS JOIN FORCES IN GRASSROOTS EFFORT TO COMBAT IDENTITY THEFT IN LOCAL COMMUNITIES

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Identity Theft Council

Oct 25, 2010, 08:30 ET

WALNUT CREEK, Calif., Oct. 25 /PRNewswire/ -- Please join us on Wednesday, October 27, 2010 at the Fort Mason Center in San Francisco for the official launch of the San Francisco Identity Theft Council, a major, grassroots initiative to help identity theft victims.

The Identity Theft Council is a non-profit, grassroots organization that provides identity theft victims with free, ongoing support and identity recovery assistance in their local communities. According to Javelin Strategy & Research, identity fraud reached a new high in 2009, affecting 11.1M adults. With the launch of the ITC, there is now finally an answer to this growing problem that helps both victims and law enforcement.

Currently, there are more than two dozen cities and police departments in the San Francisco Bay Area participating in the San Francisco Identity Theft Council. By the end of 2010, more than 100 cities and communities across northern California are expected to be participating in the ITC, creating a model and launch pad for Councils to form across the country.

We would like to invite you to attend the launch event and hear more about our mission, witness the council in action, and talk to our volunteers and supporters about the work we are doing in the San Francisco community.

What:	The official launch of the San Francisco Identity Theft Council

When:	Wednesday, October 27, 2010
	10:30 am -12:30 pm PT

Where:	The Fort Mason Center
	99 Marina Blvd.
	San Francisco, CA 94123

Who:	Several of the Identity Theft Council's partners and supporters will present at the launch
	event, including the Honorable Senator Mark Leno. In addition, you can expect to hear from:

	Neal O'Farrell, renowned security expert & Founder, Identity Theft Council
	Steve Schwartz, Executive Vice President, Consumer Services, Intersections Inc.
	Paul Henderson, Chief Prosecutor, San Francisco District Attorney's Office
	Inspector Anne Madrid, Hayward Police Department, California

	There will be a panel discussion following the presentations focused on "How the ITC is
	fighting the fastest growing crime in the nation." Key elements of the discussion will include:

	What the ITC will bring to the Bay area
	How consumers can better protect themselves from the threats
	Why children and the elderly are the most highly targeted demographics

	You can expect to hear from the Online Trust Alliance, Elder Financial Protection Network,
	the Hayward Police Department, and victim and advocate Karen Lodrick. The panel
	discussion will be moderated by Neal O'Farrell.

	Junior Counselors Program

	The Identity Theft Council has partnered with San Francisco schools in a unique program to
	allow students to reach and teach others about the growing threat of identity theft. We are
	proud to introduce our first class of Junior Counselors at the October 27th event.

RSVP:	Attendees are asked to register for the event, please visit www.identitytheftcouncil.org or
	email [email protected] to reserve your seat.

About the Identity Theft Council

Established in early 2010 in the San Francisco Bay area, the Identity Theft Council (ITC) is a non-profit, grassroots organization that provides identity theft victims with free, ongoing support and identity recovery assistance in their local communities. The Council is creating a nationwide network of local partnerships between law enforcement, the financial industry, and volunteers in local communities to provide hands-on support for victims of identity theft, help law enforcement provide a more coordinated response, and improve identity theft education and awareness community by community, across the country.

The Council was founded by security expert Neal O'Farrell with the support of local law enforcement and Intersections Inc. National partners and supporters of the Council include Intersections Inc., Independent Community Bankers of America (ICBA), the Better Business Bureau (BBB), the Online Trust Alliance (OTA), Elder Financial Protection Network (EFPN), and ITAC, the Identity Theft Assistance Center. For more information or to become involved in the Identity Theft Council, please visit: http://www.identitytheftcouncil.org. Follow us on Twitter @IDTheftCouncil or visit our blog at: http://blog.identitytheftcouncil.org

SOURCE Identity Theft Council