The Regional Employer Support Network will feature a presentation entitled “Identity Theft: The Crime of the Century” from 9 a.m. to noon June 7 at the Bemidji State University and Northwest Technical College Center for Research and Innovation Custom College, located at 3801 Bemidji Avenue North.
The session is free and open to all who want to learn more about the topic. For additional information check online at www.cri-cc.org or by calling the CRI-CC at 218-755-4900; toll free, 888-738-3224.
The presentation will educate participants about the history of identity theft, how it works and its threat to society. Information will also be presented outlining recent federal laws that impose civil and criminal liability for identity theft onto businesses and organizations.
Presenting will be Hannah L. Smith of Nevis, an independent associate and identity theft specialist with Pre-Paid Legal Services. For the past three years, Smith has been a business owner and independent associate for Pre-Paid Legal Services, a company recognized by state and federal governments and organizations as an expert in the field of identity theft.
While more than 27,000 individuals fall victim to identity theft each day, only 28 percent is credit card related. Smith will discuss what constitutes the other 72 percent, share experiences of some of those ruined financially by identity theft, provide an overview of recent federal laws and how they impact businesses, and examine ways of mitigating the impact of this crime on businesses and individuals.
The information, while targeted for business and organizational leaders, will also be of interest to the general public, since anyone can become a target of identity theft. Those attending will receive a folder of materials that might be used to help educate others in their organizations regarding associated risks and regulations.
Smith cited a 2002 Federal Trade Commission statement in saying, “People whose identities have been stolen can spend months or years, and thousands of dollars, cleaning up the mess thieves have made of their good name and credit report.
The Regional Employer Support Network was formed after employers in the region expressed the need for a network of professionals involved in human resources development and management. It meets the first Thursday of each month, with regular sessions lasting two hours and quarterly sessions lasting longer. The sessions are open to anyone interested in learning more about the featured topic.
CRI-CC staff members help facilitate RESN activities, and organizations collaborating to support the group include North Country Health Services, North Country Business Products, Potlatch, Bi-CAP, White Earth Reservation Tribal Council and Johanneson, Inc.
The CRI-CC is an off-campus facility operated by Bemidji State University and Northwest Technical College designed to increase collaboration between the University, the College, business and industry and other sectors of the region. The newly aligned outreach resources of Bemidji State University and Northwest Technical College offer greater variety and easier access to customized training and business services in addition to providing a one-stop-shop, linking external organizations to the region’s higher education knowledge base.
For more information about RESN contact the Bemidji State University and Northwest Technical College Center for Research and Innovation Custom College, Bemidji State University, 1500 Birchmont Drive NE, Bemidji, MN 56601 (218-755-4900; or toll free, 1-888-738-3224).