FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
February 4, 2002

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Beth Rosenberg
973-504-6327

New Jersey Kicks Off National Consumer Protection Week

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NEWARK - New Jersey is joining other states and advocacy groups around the country February 3-9, 2002 in recognizing the Fourth Annual National Consumer Protection Week, which this year highlights the importance of helping consumers take precautions against the misuse of their personal information, Attorney General David Samson and Acting Director of Consumer Affairs Sharon Joyce said today.

"Consumer Confidential: The Privacy Story" is the theme of this year's event, which emphasizes the need for consumers to be diligent in making sure their private information does not fall into the wrong hands. This is especially important as more and more people log onto the Internet, not only for entertainment, but also for shopping, banking and other transactions that may require the use of personal information.

National Consumer Protection Week is being organized this year by the National Consumers League, the Better Business Bureau, the Consumer Federation of America, the National Association of Attorneys General and many other local, state and federal agencies.

"Advances in computer technology have made it possible for New Jerseyans to enjoy easier access to credit and financial services, shopping choices and educational resources," said Attorney General Samson. "However, these same advances have also made it easier for people to become victims of theft. National Consumer Protection Week gives us an opportunity to remind people they need to be cautious when giving out personal information."

"The Division of Consumer Affairs is always on the lookout to protect the public from companies and individuals who misuse consumers' personal information, and will prosecute incidents of abuse when they occur," said Joyce. "The best way we can protect consumers, however, is to make them aware of the possible dangers of identity theft and provide them with information they can use to arm themselves against this fraud."

Identity theft is one of the most devastating abuses of personal information. It occurs when someone steals personal identifying information, such as a Social Security number, birth date or mother's maiden name, and uses this data to open new charge accounts, order merchandise or borrow money.

Consumers usually do not know they have been victimized until collection agencies pursue them to demand they make payments on accounts they did not know they had, or until they are denied credit because of unpaid debts run up by the criminals.

According to the U.S. Secret Service, the average take for a bank robber is $2,500, while identity thieves can run up bills that average $20,000 to $30,000 on each victim.

Samson and Joyce are offering the following tips to consumers on how to protect themselves from identity theft:

Give your Social Security number out only when absolutely necessary. Do not use it for identity purposes and do not carry your card in your purse or wallet.

Don't carry extra credit cards, your birth certificate or passport in your purse, except when needed.

If checks are stolen, notify your bank and cancel your checking account immediately.

Carefully review all bills for unauthorized charges.

When creating passwords or PINS for electronic or online transactions, do not use the last four digits of your Social Security number, your birth date, mother's maiden name or anything that could be easily traced.

Never give out personal information, like your credit card number or Social Security number, over the phone.

Ask your credit card issuer about "substitute" or "single-number" credit card numbers that allow you to use your card without putting your real account numbers online