OCC Supports National Protect Your Identity Week

WASHINGTON—The Office of Comptroller of the Currency has joined the public-private coalition that supports the fourth annual Protect Your Identity Week (PYIW), an initiative of the National Foundation for Credit Counseling (NFCC) and the Council of Better Business Bureaus (BBB). The week-long initiative, October 16 – 22, 2011, brings focus to the PYIW national campaign's website and community events aimed at identity theft protection and education.

"Consumers must become educated to protect themselves from identity theft. The OCC values its participation in the PYIW coalition and encourages the participation of financial institutions in this effort," said John Walsh, Acting Comptroller of the Currency.

As part of this initiative, the OCC has made available its Web resources that help consumers understand identity theft risks and how they may safeguard their personal information.

Consumers can find PYIW educational events in their area, hosted by local NFCC and BBB members, or other coalition partners, by visiting www.ProtectYourIDNow.org. The website is also available in Spanish at www.CuideSuIdentidad.org.

The OCC's resources on identity theft may be accessed from the "Consumer Resources" section of the PYIW website.

Related Links

• OCC Consumer Advisory – "Avoiding 'Card Skimming' at ATMs and Other Money Machines"
• OCC Fighting Identity Theft
• OCC Consumer Advisory – "Phishing"
• OCC If You Become a Victim of Identity Theft (PDF)
• OCC HelpWithMyBank.gov