From Victim To Victor: A Step By Step Guide For Ending the Nightmare of Identity Theft, Second Edition with CD [Paperback]

Mari J. Frank (Author), Dale Fetherling (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 1, 2005

From Victim to Victor has a CD attached to the inside of the book. This CD (for a PC or Mac) with steps, letters including laws, forms, affidavit and resources, allow you to complete essential correspondence to various agencies by filling in the blanks, completing the forms and affidavit, and surfing directly to dozens of helpful website resources. You’ll have peace of mind knowing you have written a professional legal letter to effectively resolve your problems. It’s like having your own lawyer coach showing you the way at a fraction of the cost of even one hour of attorney time. It is a lifesaver for you to regain your identity.

Editorial Reviews

Review

" Mari Frank is the expert on I.D. Theft. Read her book and use the CD." -- Raymond C. Turner, U. S. Treasury Dept. Representative to I.C.P.O. Interpol, and Asst. Regional Commissioner, Criminal Investigation - IRS.

"Just as every household should have a dictionary, so should every home have this book. " -- Linda Pecanic Arizona Regional Security Manager M&I Marshall & Ilsley Corporation

From the Publisher

Mari Frank is truly the leading pioneer in identity theft. We published this book to bring hope, enlightenment, and solutions to the many victims of identity theft who have had nowhere to turn for help until now. With 10 million new victims a year, there is a vast need for people to have legal help at a reasonable price. As a lawyer and former victim herself, who has helped thousands of victims, Ms. Frank coaches and guides you through every step, to lead you out of the nightmare. Mari Frank had created the first self-help recovery tool for victims of identity theft back in 1998, and this new edition with CD includes the new federal laws and regulations in an easy to understand format. It is like having your own personal attorney to lead to out of the disaster of having your identity stolen. Mari has been active in fighting for state and federal laws to protect consumers and help victims, and has gained the respect of the financial industry, law enforcement and lawmakers. The best way to help you know why you need this book, is to let you read the Foreword written by US Senator Dianne Feinstein below.

"According to the FBI, identity theft is the fastest growing crime in America. Mari Frank, the author of this book, experienced that nightmare firsthand when she had her own identity stolen in 1996. Like millions of other identity theft victims, Mari spent almost a year trying to restore her good name, her credit rating, and her finances. Back then, however, few people knew what identity theft was, and victims had no idea what steps to take to restore their identity. After Mari spent hundreds of hours working to get her own life back, she resolved to help create new laws and guides to assist other victims in navigating the system so that they wouldn’t have to go through the same hardships that she had faced. Mari developed the Identity Theft Survival Kit and testified before Congress several times. I first met Mari when she testified as a witness at the hearing that Senator Jon Kyl (R-Ariz.) and I co-chaired regarding the Identity Theft and Assumption Deterrence Act of 1998. This law made identity theft a federal crime so that consumer victims could get help from federal law enforcement. It also designated the Federal Trade Commission as a central agency to act as a clearinghouse for complaints, referrals, and assistance for victims of identity theft. Mari also testified at a Senate Judiciary Committee field hearing I chaired in August 2000. She was a passionate advocate at the hearing, describing the threats from identity theft, the steps victims need to take when their identities are stolen, and the legislation needed to assist victims and protect our citizens. Mari’s saga, and the stories she shared about other victims she had helped, opened my eyes to the growing financial and human costs of identity theft. I learned that it takes the average victim roughly two years to recover from this crime, and thousands of dollars of out-of-pocket costs. That’s why I pledged to work with Mari and other consumer advocates to fight identity theft. This ultimately led to new laws and privacy protections to help victims restore their identity. These include: • Giving every American consumer access to at least one free credit report a year from each of the three major credit bureaus.

• Requiring merchants to redact all but the last five credit card numbers on customer receipts so that discarded receipts are no longer a source of fraud.

• Allowing victims to put up barriers against the issuance of new credit in their name by requiring credit bureaus and credit issuers to adhere to "fraud alerts" on the consumer’s file.

• Increasing criminal penalties with the passage of The Identity Theft Penalty Enhancement Act, which created the new crime of "aggravated identity" theft and added to penalties for those committing identity theft as part of a more serious crime like terrorism or murder."

But with almost 10 million new identity theft victims every year, there is clearly more that we need to do. In this era of the Internet and vast information databases, American consumers face an overwhelming task in controlling how their personal information is used and secured. That’s why I continue to push for legislation to set higher standards for how an individual's personal information is protected, and to prohibit the public display of Social Security numbers. With support from consumer representatives and privacy professionals like Mari Frank, I am confident we will ultimately turn back the tide of identity theft crimes. Mari knows firsthand as an attorney, sheriff reserve, and former victim, what it takes to protect your personal information, and how to successfully restore your identity if it is stolen. Her testimony, educational programs, and her books have been invaluable to victims and policymakers alike. With this new edition of From Victim To Victor: A Step-By-Step Guide For Ending The Nightmare Of Identity Theft, Second Edition with CD, Mari once again provides an excellent guide to help victims of identity theft regain their good name and peace of mind.

U.S. Senator Dianne Feinstein

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 176 pages
• Publisher: Porpoise Pr; 2 edition (January 1, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1892126044
• ISBN-13: 978-1892126047
• Product Dimensions: 10.9 x 8.4 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (14 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,138,376 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Mari J. Frank is an attorney, Certified Information Privacy Professional and the creator of The Identity Theft Survival Kit, the audiocassette series Identity Theft Prevention and Survival, and author of From Victim to Victor: A Step by Step Guide for Ending the Nightmare of Identity Theft, Safeguard Your Identity: Protect yourself with a Personal Privacy Audit, and The Complete Idiot Guide To Recovering From Identity Theft (released May, 2010). Mari hosts Privacy Piracy, a weekly one-hour public affairs radio show dedicated to privacy issues airing at KUCI 88.9 FM and www.kuci.org/privacypiracy. Her show received an innovation award by the International Association of Privacy Professionals in 2005.

Ms. Frank has testified many times on privacy issues in the California legislature and before the U.S. Congress. In May 1999, she was summoned to the White House to a press conference with President Clinton to speak on Consumer Privacy. Her speech was broadcast on C-SPAN TV. Mari's 90 minute PBS Television special, "Identity Theft: Protecting Yourself in the Information Age" aired nationwide in 2005.

Mari consults for corporations and government agencies and serves as an expert witness in state and federal court on privacy and identity theft cases. She has served on the Identity Theft Task Force of the LA County District Attorney, California's DMV Task Force on Privacy. She is a consultant for the National Office of Victims of Crime, was appointed to the advisory board of the State of California Office of Privacy Protection. She's an Orange County Sheriff Reserve, an Advisory Board Member of the Identity Theft Resource Center and the Privacy Rights Clearinghouse, and is a Privacy Fellow with the Ponemon Research Institute. Mari is a certified MCLE trainer for the State Bar of California, a law professor, and currently teaches at the University of California, Irvine.

Mari has appeared on dozens of national TV programs including Dateline, 48 Hours, the O'Reilly Factor, Investigative Reports, NBC and ABC Nightly News, CNN, Geraldo, CNBC, Montel and has been interviewed on more than 350 radio shows. She has been featured in major newspapers and magazines including the ABA Journal, The California Bar Journal, Wall Street Journal, USA Today, The Chicago Tribune, The LA Times, The New York Times, and her many articles have been published in legal journals and numerous magazines. Learn more at: www.identitytheft.org; www.kuci.org/privacypiracy; www.MariFrank.com

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

17 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The only book on identity theft is also a life saver., December 17, 1998

By 

Dan Poynter "Author-Publisher-Speaker" (Santa Barbara, CA United States) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: From Victim To Victor : A Step-By-Step Guide For Ending The Nightmare of Identity Theft (Paperback)

When my attaché case was stolen, Mari Frank came to my rescue. With her advice, those telephone calls and letters established firewalls at my bank, with credit card companies, with the credit reporting agencies, etc. She saved my identity, credit rating, reputation, and "life." This fascinating book is highly recommended. Dan Poynter, author The Self-Publishing Manual

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars It Saved My Life and Sanity!!!, June 30, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: The Identity Theft Survival Kit: A Complete Guide for Restoring Your Credit and Your Peace of Mind (book, cassettes, and diskette) (Audio Cassette)

If you are a victim of identity theft, suspect identity theft, or want to be pro-active in protecting yourself against this crime wave of the millenium, this book MUST have a spot close to your local emergency numbers!!!

As a 15 month victim of identity theft ranging from fraudulent bank accounts, fradulent credit card accounts to receiving government documents in my name and finally, gaining access to my own personal accounts and distroying my financial health, the Identity Theft Survival Kit has pulled me from the myre of phone calls, letter writing, government and corporate mazes. Four months ago I had lost all hope of ever regaining my credit, life, and sanity, the Identity Theft Survival Kit has taken me step-by- step through the process of clean-up and given me the hope and spirit to make it through this.

This may just save your life too!

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars "Must Have" Book to Protect your Identity, February 1, 2005

By 

fw (Chicago, IL) - See all my reviews

This review is from: From Victim To Victor: A Step By Step Guide For Ending the Nightmare of Identity Theft, Second Edition with CD (Paperback)

This book is a "must have" for anyone interested in protecting their identity. The book is very user friendly with lists of the critical safety measures to follow as well as step by step instructions on what to do to regain your identity in case of identity theft. It is obvious that Mari Frank is the expert in this area - this is the book to buy for identity theft! I highly recommend this book!