I think this is big news and will be a great benefit to REALTORS and the
people they serve.

The FTC has received thousands of real estate-related identity theft
complaints. Many consumers first learn they are victims of identity theft
when they are in the process of renting or buying a home, derailing their
real estate dreams while they work to rebuild their good name and destroyed
credit. Identity thieves may also rent or purchase a home fraudulently.
Identity theft is an important issue impacting both home buyers and real
estate professionals across the nation.

NAR is now working with the FTC on a new nationwide campaign to educate
consumers on how to minimize risk of identity theft and quickly fight back
if they become a victim: AvoID Theft: Deter, Detect, Defend . Preparing for
its official launch by early summer, the new initiative aims to educate and
empower consumers to protect themselves against identity theft and to
minimize the damage it can cause.

On behalf of our industry, NAR plans to play a key role in the fight against
identity theft by reaching consumers with much-needed information at points
where financial investments and credit is top-of-mind. To arm our members
with the materials necessary to join this effort, NAR, in cooperation with
FTC, will have numerous resources available to make it easy for any REALTOR
to communicate about identity theft to existing and potential customers.

Use these resources and help your clients, and yourself. For more info on
this go to:

http://www.realtor.org/idtheft

Saul

Saul Klein
President, InternetCrusade