Gray matters

When even the #1 movie at the box office is called “Identity Thief,” it’s a topic at the top of everyone’s list.  If you’re in the financial or healthcare sector — or just want to stay up on an emerging issue — find out more about an FTC initiative focused on how identity theft affects a particular segment of your community.

Older Americans can’t be pigeon-holed.  Some are aging-but-still-raging hang gliders.  Others appreciate a hand from family, care givers, attorneys, etc., in managing day-to-day decisions that have become more complicated with time and technology.  How the problem of identity theft affects this diverse group will be the subject of an FTC workshop on May 7, 2013.

Some issues on the agenda:

• Why older consumers may be at particular risk for medical identity theft
   
• How crooks try to tie their scams to taxes or government benefits — and what people can do to protect themselves as government programs move from paper to pixels
   
• How mobility — for example, a cross-country move to be closer to family or a move to an assisted living or nursing home setting — can increase the risk of ID theft and what people can do to minimize their exposure
   
• The best methods for reaching older consumers with practical advice.

The workshop, coinciding with Older Americans Month, is part of the FTC’s ongoing effort to address the problem of ID theft by aggressively enforcing the law, serving as a clearinghouse for identity theft complaints, and educating consumers and businesses about data protection.  The risks to older people are just one part of the picture, of course.  The FTC has also focused on unique ID theft issues affecting other groups, including kids and military families.

The May 7th workshop, which is free and open to the public, will be at the FTC’s satellite building conference center, 601 New Jersey Avenue, N.W., in Washington, D.C.   Have information to share or suggestions about topics to cover?  Email us at seniorIDtheft@ftc.gov.