Just What IS CITRMS?

Recently I was asked a very pertinent question. "What does CITRMS stand for. Well, to put things in perspective, we have to look at the spate of problems that have been occurring with identity theft and the new laws that have been enacted to protect, NO ONE CAN PREVENT IT, and restore our identities in this day and age.
CITRMS, is the designation that one receives as a Certified Identity Theft Risk Management Specialist. C I T R M S. It certifies that the person has undergone a rigorous training with reference to the Fair and Accurate Credit Transactions Act, Fair Credit Reporting Act and the newly issued Red Flag Rules. If you want more information on these I urge you to visit the Federal Trade Commission website here for FACTA and FCRA. Visit here for information on the Red Flag Rules. The Institute of Fraud Risk Management conducts these trainings, which I must say are eye opening, to give professionals a better understanding of what exactly these laws are, and how to best protect our clients, and business associates from being victimized by data breaches such as these just from 2008. Many have been put at a false sense of security by their financial institutions whereby, they are told that any fraudulent charges will be taken care of, well, if you do not report them in 90 days, you may be responsible for THE ENTIRE AMOUNT!! (check with your financial institution to get details) Others have been lulled into a sense of security by advertisements saying “We will prevent identity theft”, that statement is impossible. Identity theft is NOT, I REPEAT NOT, solely financial. Here are some examples of identity theft that have absolutely nothing to do with finances This has been a 17 year nightmare, this is 1 SS#, 17 states and 81 ILLEGALS, how about a 3 MONTH OLD BABY with a work related back injury? I can list many others but the blog will get longer…smile
So my answer to you is this, CITRMS, stands for Certified Identity Theft Risk Management Specialist. Even though it is a mouthful, it can best be said that CITRMS stands for protecting my clients, business and family, with a program that is only offered by my company, and cannot be replicated anywhere else in the marketplace.
Do not be fooled, there are other identity theft companies that tout themselves as being able to prevent ID theft, but I emphatically state they cannot. One service even had it’s CEO become a victim. Mayor Blumberg even became a victim. I say all of this to say that any person in this digital age needs protection, before, during and after an ID Theft event. To add to this, if it happens, you need an attorney. This man sure needs one.
For more information you can email me or just leave a comment below….

Take care and be safe out there,
Mr. William D. Calloway Jr., CITRMS