Has your identity already been compromised? Has your child been granted $100,000 in credit without their knowledge? As a business owner do you have customers that don’t really exist?

Whether you are an individual, financial institution, retailer or other organizational entity, it is important to know how to protect yourself and others from becoming a victim of identity theft.

On January 23, Matt Pannell, a former special agent with the United States Treasury and Social Security Administration, will present “Identity Theft is Real” as part of a partnership between Meridian Technology Center and the First National Bank of Weatherford.

Pannell’s specialized expertise in identity and synthetic identity theft, investigation and support of federal prosecutions of fraud schemes will give you a behind-the-scenes look at the vulnerabilities being exploited. Pannell brings a firsthand perspective to fraud, identity theft and financial crimes. This session will cover:

• Case studies of fraudsters misusing your identity for financial gain
• Frankenstein identities and how synthetic identities are harming businesses and consumers
• How fraudsters steal a child’s identity
• Tips for protecting your personally identifiable information from being used in a fraud scheme
• How to detect if someone is using a false identity
• Credit reporting agencies’ role in lending decisions
• How the federal government protects your identity

Howard Frankenfield is Vice President/Chief Security Officer/Chief Information Officer at First National Bank of Weatherford. He will also share his expertise in social engineering, phishing and best practices for keeping your data secure.

Identity Theft Is Real will be held from 11 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. on Meridian’s campus. It is open to the public. Registration is free and includes lunch. Pre-registration is required. For more information or to register visit meridiantech.edu/identitytheft or contact Kim Strom at kims@meridiantech.edu, (405) 377-3333 or toll-free at (888) 607-2509.