Resources provide best practices and information on preventing identity theft for National Identity Theft Prevention and Awareness
Seattle, Wash — In conjunction with National Identity Theft Prevention and Awareness month, Avvo®, Inc., the web’s largest expert-only legal Q&A forum and directory (http://www.avvo.com), today released a set of legal guides that address the top questions consumers have about identity theft. The new guides, authored by attorneys with subject matter expertise, underscore the importance of protecting your personal information online and provide guidance on what to do if you become a victim of identity theft. They include:
· How to Protect Yourself from Identity Theft
· What to Do if You Are an Identity Theft Victim
· Ten Tips for Avoiding Online Scams
“Unfortunately, identity theft is becoming more common and it’s important for consumers to know how to protect themselves against the hazards of identity theft, especially in the midst of the holiday shopping season,” said Washington-based attorney Scott Engelhard. “These legal guides are a great resource for helping people understand the steps that should be taken if they find they’ve been the victim of identity theft.”
Top Legal Questions Answered
According to the Federal Trade Commission, identity theft is the number one type of consumer fraud in the U.S., resulting in approximately nine million people having their identity stolen, per year. On Avvo.com, there has been a 126% increase in the number of identity theft related questions from consumers in 2012 over 2011. Taking into account population density, consumers from Washington, Oregon, South Carolina, Kansas and Arizona lead the country with the greatest number of identity theft-related questions on Avvo.com.
About Avvo, Inc.
Avvo.com is the web’s largest expert-only legal Q&A forum and directory (http://www.avvo.com), connecting hundreds of thousands of consumers and lawyers every month. In Avvo’s Q&A forum consumers can get free legal advice 24/7 from more than 125,000 participating lawyers, and Avvo’s directory provides comprehensive profiles, client reviews, peer endorsements and the industry-recognized Avvo Rating for more than 90 percent of all lawyers in the U.S. In addition, Avvo helps lawyers grow their business with Avvo Ignite™, a cloud-based client conversion and website solution specifically for attorneys. Founded in 2007, Avvo is privately held with funding from Benchmark Capital, DAG Ventures and Ignition Partners.
