An identity crisis
Does a thief answer to your name?

Dear Friends and Clients of  Ruby Mason,

Lurking behind the information explosion and easy access to credit are thieves stalking our computers and mail, nabbing our purses and digging through our trash, seeking out and stealing
a priceless commodity - our identities. Armed with new names, criminals wreak havoc on unsuspecting citizens by committing any number of old-fashioned crimes under their assumed identities.

Identity theft was virtually unknown a decade ago. In 1992, TransUnion credit agency reported 35,000 calls related to identity fraud. In 2001, they received more than a million calls. Arizona had 300,000 reports in 2002, 3^rd in the nation. Arizona in 2005 is now 1^st in the nation! The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) calls identity theft the fastest growing crime today.

Prior to 1998, thieves could rob and use anothers identity with no law to stop them. Only the merchants who suffered monetary losses were considered victims. In the fall of that year, Congress passed the Identity Theft and Assumption Deterrence Act making identity theft a federal crime. This legislation declared that the person whose identity was stolen was also a victim, and appointed the FTC as a central clearinghouse to assist those victims.

When Bad Things Happen To Your Good Name

is a free 33-page booklet from the FTC containing valuable information for prevention of and recovery from ID theft. It is available online at www.consumer.gov/idtheft or by calling toll free 1.877.IDTHEFT.

Sincerely,

Ruby Mason

Mortgage Advocate