Informative Speech On Identity Theft

A. Today is the big day. You have been saving for several months for a down payment to purchase your new car. You go to the dealership, pick out the car and fill out all the required paperwork. You start daydreaming about driving off the lot when the finance manager comes in and says the one word you were not expecting, DENIED. You have no idea what is going on because you know you have perfect credit. After some time consuming effort, you realize you are a victim of identity theft.

B. The purpose of my speech is to inform the audience about identity theft.

C. Identity theft can happen to anyone in this room. Your roommate, friend or a total stranger can gain access to your personal information. If you ever plan on taking out a student loan, purchasing a car or home, you should listen carefully to this speech.

D. I was almost a victim of identity theft. Several years ago someone stole my checkbook. The person who found it started writing checks from my account to purchase a few very expensive items at my expense. I had no idea this was happening until I went to the ATM to withdraw some money. I called my bank and found out that my account was $2000.00 overdrawn. Fortunately, I reported it the police in a timely manner and they were able to apprehend the person before more damage could be done. The police told me about identity theft and how lucky I was. After the incident I started doing research on identity theft so I could prevent it from happening again.

E. Today I will inform you of several aspects of identity theft. First, I will talk about how identity theft happens. Next, I will tell you how to minimize your chances of becoming a victim. Lastly, I will discuss several steps you can take if you become a victim.

b. Thieves plunder through you mailbox and/or your trash

B. Minimizing your chances of being a victim

a. Request a copy of your current credit report

b. Properly dispose or destroy old bank statements, applications for credit cards, or any other paperwork that may have your personal information on it.

C. Steps to take if you become a victim

a. Notify the three major credit-reporting agencies

b. Close all accounts that you did not open and any account you think my have been tampered with

c. Inform the local law enforcement and the law enforcement in the area the crime took place.

A. Today I talked about identity theft and several ways to protect your self from this damaging crime.

B. First, I told you how it happens. Then I talked about how you can minimize your chances of becoming a victim. Last I informed you of the steps to take if you become a victim

C. Identity theft is a very serious matter. I hope each and every one of you will take the information I have provided today to heart. If I was able to convince you to better protect your personal information, then I have accomplished my goal.

First I will tell how identity theft can happen to you. In today’s society we are plagued with a new kind of criminal, an identity thief. Although you may try your best to protect your personal information, the thief will get access to it if they want. There are several different methods that can be used to obtain your personal information. Your wallet could be slipped out of your pocket in a crowded place or someone could run by and snatch your purse. With these items in their possession they could start the process of taking over your identity. The criminals could call your credit card company and pretend to be you. They would then ask for a change of billing address, therefore preventing you from seeing the bill they are starting to run up. Another way of getting you personal information is by digging through your trash or plundering through your mailbox. If the criminal chooses this method he has a better chance of taking your identity. He will be able to get your bank statements, credit card statements or maybe the pre-approved offers from credit card companies. They can easily apply for a credit card without having to talk to anyone or they can perform various transactions on your behalf at the bank. All of these things can be done with out you having any knowledge that your money is being stolen and your credit rating is a downhill slide.

Now that I have told you how identity theft happens, I will now talk about ways to minimize your chances of becoming a victim. One of the first things you can do is order a copy of your credit report every year from the top three credit bureaus. The three major credit bureaus are Equifax, Experian and Transunion. You can find each of these companies on the Internet or your local telephone directory. Once you receive your credit report, it is imperative you review for inaccuracies. If you find anything that should not be on the report you should call or write the creditor and inquire about their report. There are times when your creditor will make a mistake, but if you see accounts you are unaware of or outrageous charges you should start closing accounts and informing the proper people. Another way to minimize your chance is to properly dispose or destroy old bank statements, applications for credit cards, or any other paperwork that may have your personal information on it. Protecting your personal information is the key to keeping your identity from falling in someone else’s hands.

Now that I have spoken about how identity theft happens and ways to minimize your chances of becoming a victim, I will now talk about steps to take if you do become a victim. The first and most important step is to contact the fraud department of the three major credit bureaus. Tell them you have become a victim of identity theft and ask them to put an alert on your account. Also, you should request they put a statement in your file so creditors will have to call you before opening any new accounts. You should also order a copy of your credit report to ensure no more illegal activity has been occurring. You should check to make sure the corrections and changes were updated. It is important to order a new credit report every few months, again checking to see if there has been unauthorized activity on your accounts. The second step is to close all accounts that you did not open or the ones you think have been affected by the theft. You can request an ID Theft Affidavit or a fraud dispute form to dispute all charges, ATMs or debit card purchases. The third and final step is to notify and file a report with the local law enforcement office and the law enforcement office in the areas the identity theft happened. You should provide them with as much information you can to prove your case. Any evidence you can provide will help them fill out a complete report. If the authorities tell you they can’t take a report, then you should inform them of the importance because creditors will not cancel accounts or charges without one. In closing, I would like to remind each of you to be very protective of your personal information. I do think you may want to make some major purchases on credit sometime during your life.

Today I talked about identity theft and several ways to protect your self from this damaging crime. First, I told you how it happens. Then I talked about how you can minimize your chances of becoming a victim. Last I informed you of the steps to take if you become a victim. Identity theft is a very serious crime and can ruin your perfect credit for a very long time. I hope each and every one of you will take the information provided today to heart. If I was able to convince you to better protect your personal information, then I have accomplished my goal. Thank you for you