Archive for the ‘News’ Category

The latest issue of OVC News & Program Updates is now available and highlights the work of the NITVAN coalitions in developing legal assistance materials online for victims of identity theft!

Designed to strengthen communication among victim-serving organizations, professionals, and OVC, the newsletter is a valuable tool for sharing information about OVC’s strategic planning, initiatives, events, and other areas of special interest. This issue focuses on collaboration,sustainability, and bridging the gap between researchers and practitioners.
Articles in this edition discuss—

• OVC’s release of the Vision
  21: Transforming Victim Services Final Report;
• Web-based innovations that
  help victims of identity theft;
• a co-victim’s tragic account
  of the shooting at the Sikh Temple in Oak Creek, Wisconsin;
• a practitioner’s guide to
  research partnerships;
• ways to leverage existing
  resources to expand training for sexual assault response teams and nurse
  examiners;
• how to engage an
  organization’s board of directors;
• and much more!

To read the article click here.

Find NITVAN on Facebook!

The U.S. Department of Justice Access to Justice Initiative invites you to save the date for a free webinar:  July 10, 2013, 11:00 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. Eastern.

This webinar, presented by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) for the legal services community, will share information on identity theft, as well as consumer protection resources to help your clients.

The webinar will cover:

• An overview of identity theft,
• How legal aid and legal services attorneys can assist their clients who are victims of identity theft,
• How to use the FTC’s free Guide for Assisting Identity Theft Victims,
• Where to find – and how to use – consumer protection resources created specifically for your clients,
• What the FTC, and the Bureau of Consumer Protection, does and how that work and resources can help you in the legal services community help your clients.

The webinar is hosted by the U.S. Department of Justice Access to Justice Initiative, and the presenters are from the FTC’s Bureau of Consumer Protection – Division of Marketing Practices, Division of Privacy and Identity Protection, and the Division of Consumer and Business Education.

Every year, more than 26,000 kids in the United States age out of foster care. Remember how difficult it was to navigate through the world when you were 18? Now imagine you had to do it with nearly no support system – and with a mountain of debt in your name, thanks to identity theft. The FTC has issued a guide to help foster children and their guardians protect the child’s identity. To see the guide and visit the FTC website click here

Recent natural disasters have highlighted the fact that many identity crimes occur in the wake of the event or even months down the road during the recovery.

There is now a source specifically for victims of disasters who may need legal aid in resolving issues – including disaster related fraud and identity theft.

National Disaster Legal Aid is a collaborative effort of the American Bar Association, the Legal Services Corporation, the National Legal Aid and Defender Association, and Pro Bono Net to serve victims of disasters, like the Oklahoma City tornado and Midwest floods.

For more information visit: www.disasterlegalaid.org

New York’s Statewide Legal Website LawHelpNY.org Now Hosts Identity Theft Materials Online!

See the material here: http://www.lawhelpny.org/issues/consumer/identity-theft-1?channel=know-your-rights&category=sample-letters-for-identity-theft-victims&location. Victims can now receive legal information on how to write a letter to: a creditor, debt collector, or credit bureau. An avatar walks victim through the process, letter can be printed & mailed to the appropriate person. These letters utilize the materials in the Federal Trade Commission’s probono guide to assist victims of identity theft.

The Center for Survivor Agency and Justice (CSAJ) has just released a brand new website! On it you’ll find:

• A resource library filled with advocacy tools, presentations, and articles;
• A selection of web-based trainings;
• A place to request individualized technical assistance; and
• News about cutting-edge advocacy resources and trainings.

About CSAJ: The Center for Survivor Agency and Justice is a national organization dedicated to enhancing advocacy for survivors of intimate partner violence. CSAJ seeks to promote survivor-centered advocacy by improving the work of attorneys, by organizing communities, and by offering leadership on critical issues facing survivors and advocates throughout the nation.

The Office on Violence Against Women awarded a grant to the Center for Survivor Agency and Justice to support the Consumer Rights for Domestic Violence Survivors Initiative. With this funding, CRDVSI will provide training and technical assistance to attorneys and advocates who are Legal Assistance for Victims grantees, Rural Grantees, as well as non-OVW grantees who are non-profit nongovernmental victim service providers who could benefit from enhanced provision of legal services to victims. Partners on the project include the National Consumer Law Center, the Feerick Center for Social Justice located at Fordham Law School, and the National Law Center on Homelessness and Poverty, along with a cadre of Expert Advisors available to offer individualized technical assistance to attorneys and advocates on consumer rights legal advocacy for domestic violence survivors.

On May 7th, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) will bring together experts from government, private industry, and public  interest groups to discuss the unique challenges facing victims of senior  identity theft.

The forum will include panels on different types of  senior identity theft – tax and government benefits, medical, and long-term  care – and will also explore the best consumer education and outreach  techniques for reaching seniors.

For more information click here.

The Social Security Administration is considering changing its policy about
assigning new SSNs to children age 13 and under. The SSA is requesting
information from the public to ensure that any policy changes adopted
appropriately address the unique issues associated with the misuse of an
SSN for a child age 13 and under. If you would like to comment, please do
so at this link by April 12, 2013. http://www.regulations.gov/#!docketDetail;D=SSA-2012-0042

North Carolina’s Statewide Legal Website LawHelpNC.com Now Hosts Identity Theft Materials Online!

See the material here: http://www.lawhelpnc.org/resource/identity-theft-self-help-forms?ref=2RxIk. Victims can now receive legal information on how to write a letter to: a creditor, debt collector, or credit bureau. An avatar walks victim through the process, letter can be printed & mailed to the appropriate person. These letters utilize the materials in the Federal Trade Commission’s probono guide to assist victims of identity theft.

On February 19, at 2 pm EST, The National Identity Theft Victims Assistance Network will be hosting a webinar on Cyber Security and Identity Theft Victimization. Register at: https://cc.readytalk.com/r/7mi3pktcu1mh

Speakers will include Michael Kaiser, Executive Director of the National Cyber Security Alliance. In this role, Mr. Kaiser engages diverse constituencies—business, government, other non-profit organizations—in NCSA’s broad public education and outreach efforts to strengthen the nation’s cyber infrastructure, including leadership of NCSA’s premier outreach and awareness campaign, National Cyber Security Awareness Month. Prior to joining NCSA, Mr. Kaiser spent 25 years in the field of victim’s services and rights.