TEMPE, Ariz.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Often thought of as a dream vacation destination and playground for adults, Las Vegas and surrounding Nevada communities are also breeding grounds for identity thieves. In 2007, more than 5,100 Nevada residents filed fraud complaints with the Federal Trade Commission, and spent more than $12 million in remediation as a result of this fraud.
A February 26 summit being hosted by the Nevada Attorney General’s Office, FBI Law Enforcement Executive Development Association (FBI-LEEDA) and LifeLock® aims to close in on identity thieves by arming local and regional law enforcement officials with information about this devastating crime that will help them put these criminals away. The summit is part of a series being offered under a unique partnership between FBI-LEEDA and LifeLock. In addition to the identity theft summit for law enforcement officials, the Nevada Attorney General’s Office is also hosting an identity theft town hall meeting on Thursday, February 26 from 6 – 7 p.m.
“This program is part of extensive efforts we have made in educating the public and law enforcement through our partnership with FBI-LEEDA,” said LifeLock CEO Todd Davis. “Identity theft is a crime that has no boundaries, and by forging relationships with those in law enforcement, we become a more united front against these criminals. LifeLock has a history of partnering with those who share the vision of empowering consumers to protect themselves, and our partnership with FBI-LEEDA gets us even closer to our ultimate goal — eliminating identity theft.”
Participants in the program will learn about identity theft and its economic, personal and employment impacts as well as hear stories from others who have been affected by this crime or have worked to combat it. Law enforcement officials will also have opportunities to network with other agencies to improve inter-agency communication, which can aid in tracking down identity thieves.
“Participants will really be surprised by the number of stories about identity theft,” says Wayne Ivey, a 27-year veteran of law enforcement and the keynote speaker of the identity theft summit. “The key to stopping identity theft is education and awareness, and the connections officers will make with other agencies by participating in the summit will be the most valuable thing they come away with and will help greatly in their investigations.”
The Las Vegas summit is the fifth in an ongoing series spanning the nation. The event will be held from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the United Healthcare facility, located at 2724 N. Tenaya Way, Las Vegas, NV. To register, contact paige@lifelock.com. The summit is open to chiefs, sheriffs, investigative supervisors, fraud unit investigators, patrol officers and community policing personnel. A town hall meeting will be held in the evening from 6 – 7 p.m. and is open to the public. The town hall meeting will also be held at the United Healthcare facility, located at 2724 N. Tenaya Way, Las Vegas, NV.
“The positive response from our summits has been overwhelming, and we are excited to bring this important training to our law enforcement community,” said Tom Stone, Executive Director of FBI-LEEDA. “By joining together and opening avenues of communication through information and education, we gain the ability to share effective policing strategies and connect identity theft cases from several cities and states to ensure that these criminals are brought to justice. It’s refreshing to have a private organization like LifeLock recognize the need for this training and to support it across the nation.”
Identity theft has become the number-one crime in the nation, passing up drug trafficking, according to the U.S. Department of Justice. This fast growing crime is costing Americans more than $1.2 billion annually, and the length of time a victim invests in clearing their good name can be up to three or more months, according to the Federal Trade Commission.
About LifeLock®
Founded in 2005, LifeLock works to close many of the doors identity thieves go through to misuse personal information. Closing in on 1.5 million members, LifeLock has earned multiple awards, including the Red Herring 100 Global Award as one of the Top 100 start-ups in the world. LifeLock was the recipient of two American Business Awards for advertising in 2008, and most recently, garnered an additional award honor for advertising from the International Business Awards. LifeLock representatives are available to assist members 24 hours a day, seven days a week from the company’s secure facility in Tempe, Ariz. LifeLock (www.lifelock.com) is a private company backed by Goldman Sachs, Kleiner Perkins Caufield and Byers, as well as Bessemer Venture Partners.