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Second Identity Theft Summit Arms Californians with Education, Training

SACRAMENTO — The Schwarzenegger Administration's second annual summit aimed at combating the nation's fastest-growing crime got under way this morning at the Los Angeles Convention Center.

Teaming Up Against Identity Theft: A Summit on Solutions brings more than 1,000 people together and focuses on education and training in privacy protection and identity theft prevention.

Nearly 10 million people in the United States are victims of identity theft each year — more than one million of them are Californians. In 2005, this crime cost businesses and financial institutions more than $57 billion nationwide.

"The effects of identity theft can be devastating and take years to recover from. The cost of identity theft impacts individuals, businesses and the economy — fighting it will take a team effort," said Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger. "I am pleased to see the variety of stakeholders coming together to provide leadership and make progress in the fight against identity theft."

California is a recognized leader in privacy protection and identity theft prevention, and is the only state in the country to have an Office of Privacy Protection.

"Californians are ready to fight back against this invasive crime," said Rosario Marin, Secretary of the State and Consumer Services Agency. "This summit will give important tools to the people who are on the front lines, fighting identity theft."

Education and training were identified as the top needs at last year's identity theft summit, held in Sacramento. This year's summit includes 12 different workshops specifically designed for consumers, merchants, the legal profession, higher education, government, law enforcement, notaries and the news media.

Those tools are in high demand. Seminars at this year's summit filled up in a mere three weeks after registration opened.

"There is clearly a strong demand for hands-on training," said Charlene Zettel, Director of the California Department of Consumer Affairs. "Interest in this year's summit was so overwhelming that we are hoping to provide additional workshops around the state later this year for people who couldn't get a spot at this year's summit."

Speakers at this year's summit included:

• Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger
• Federal Trade Commission Chairman Deborah Platt Majoras
• State and Consumer Services Secretary Rosario Marin
• California Department of Consumer Affairs Director Charlene Zettel
• State Senator Charles Poochigian
• Los Angeles County District Attorney Steve Cooley
• Sacramento County District Attorney Jan Scully

Summit sponsors include Deloitte, the California Victim Compensation & Government Claims Board, VISA, Internet Security Systems, and the National Notary Association.

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