DMA to Launch ID Theft Campaign; Working with FTC to Help Consumers 'Deter. Detect. Defend.'

June 21, 2006 – The Direct Marketing Association announced today that it will partner with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) in its “AvoID Theft” campaign. The goal of the campaign is to provide information to consumers on how they can avoid becoming a victim of identity theft and what to do if they suspect their personal information is being misused.

“The message of the AvoID Theft campaign is practical, clear, and concise: Deter. Detect. Defend,” said DMA President & CEO John A. Greco, Jr. “We’re committed to helping the FTC get those words out into the public and understood by as many consumers as we can.”

To help spread the word, DMA is developing a series of template materials that will be provided to its member companies. The brochures, bill stuffers, online content, and other materials can then be co-branded and offered to customers.

These materials will include tips for consumers on how to guard against identity theft and recognize when they might be at risk, as well as the appropriate steps to take if they believe they have become a victim.

“Our members know how to reach consumers – it’s what they do every day,” said Patricia Kachura, DMA’s senior vice president for ethics and consumer affairs. “ What DMA will do is to provide them this consumer-oriented information, which they can adapt and disseminate using their own existing and effective tools and channels.”

Campaign materials will be made available to DMA members later this summer, with a consumer Web site to be launched by early fall. All DMA materials will include messages and information that are part of the larger FTC campaign, which is now available online at www.consumer.gov/idtheft.

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