HOUGHTON -- Identity theft can happen to anyone at anytime, and it's one of the fastest growing crimes in the United States. Citizens Bank held a free identity theft seminar on the campus of Michigan Tech Tuesday evening.
According to the Federal Trade Commission, the number of identity theft incidents has reached 9.9 million a year. Every minute, 19 people become victims of identity theft.
"Scam artists change up, so they might have one scam because it's working really well, and then they're going to challenge it as more people find out about it. So we're just trying to spread the word. The more people that know about it cannot only protect themselves, but their family," said Citizens Bank Branch Manager, Hal Franke.
During the seminar, the crowd learned how to protect their finances and personal information. Even something as simple as shredding your financial statements can reduce your risk of fraud.
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