WASHINGTON -- (April 24, 2007)-- The Federal
Trade Commission (
www.ftc.gov)
has mailed claim forms for reimbursement to an additional
1,500 consumers who may have been victims of identity theft
due to alleged security lapses at data broker ChoicePoint,
Inc. In December, 2006, the Commission mailed claim forms
to 1,400 consumers who were identified with the assistance
of law enforcement, with instructions on how to file a claim.
The FTC also has created a website – http://www.ftc.gov/choicepoint
– where consumers who do not receive a letter can
download a claims form and obtain information about the
claims process.
In 2005, ChoicePoint, which compiles and sells personal
information, announced that it had sold information about
many consumers to people who turned out to be identity
thieves. The FTC, the nation’s consumer protection
agency, investigated the ChoicePoint security breach and
alleged that, in some cases, these sales resulted in identity
theft. The FTC and ChoicePoint reached a settlement requiring
the company, among other things, to pay $5 million to
be used to reimburse consumers for expenses due to identity
theft caused by ChoicePoint’s security breach. A
press release explaining the settlement can be found at
http://www.ftc.gov/opa/2006/01/choicepoint.htm.
Consumers who receive a letter and have out-of-pocket
expenses due to identity theft caused by the ChoicePoint
security breach should submit claims promptly. Consumers
who do not receive a letter, but who believe that they
have identity theft-related expenses due to this incident,
also may submit a claim by completing the form available
on the FTC’s website http://www.ftc.gov/choicepoint
or calling (toll-free) 1-888-884-8772. The form must be
postmarked by June 22, 2007 for consideration. The amount
applicants receive will depend on a number of factors,
including the total number and amount of claims that the
agency receives.
More information for consumers is available by calling
toll-free at 1-888-884-8772, or by sending an e-mail to
cpredress@ftc.gov.
SOURCE: Federal Trade Commission
