Released on: May 19, 2008, 11:06 pm

Press Release Author: Integrity Upfront

Industry: Financial

Press Release Summary: Approximately 10 million people in North America are
victimized by identity theft each year. Already the number of firms that have had
customer or personnel records exposed to potential fraud this year is 20% higher
than last year. With over 11.9 million personal records exposed so far, you need to
protect your identity. Integrity Upfront offers free identity theft protection
alerts and tips at http://www.identitytheftprotectionlock.com

Press Release Body: NORTH BAY, Ontario - Identity theft continues to be a growing
global concern, victimizing as many as 10 million people in North America each year
[1], and has even surpassed drug trafficking as the number one crime in the United
States [2]. But Integrity Upfront, based in North Bay, Ontario, is taking a stand
and educating consumers about the various forms of identity theft and effective
methods of identity protection.

Less than five months into the year and already the number of U.S. firms that have
had customer or employee records breached exceeds last year's figures by 120%,
according to the Identity Theft Resource Center (ITRC). The organization reported
259 breeches as of May 13, 2008, compared to 446 breaches in all of 2007.

So far, this year's breeches exposed at least 11.9 million records containing
personal information about customers and/or employees, the ITRC report said. In many
cases, the number of exposed records was not reported, making the actual number of
exposed records much higher.

"Every one of those people is a potential victim of identity theft," said Integrity
Upfront President Randy Vezina.

Unfortunately, the bad news doesn't end there. ITRC is predicting that identity
theft will grow more international in scope and become harder to detect due to
increased sophistication in identity theft technology.

On average, identity thieves steal $6,383 per victim before the fraud is detected,
reported Javelin Strategy & Research in its 2006 Identity Fraud Survey Consumer
Report. However, the Javelin report also revealed that when victims detect the
identity theft themselves, the theft is detected 35% faster than when discovered by
a creditor or financial institution and results in 36% lower costs to the consumer.

"This means that being vigilant against identity theft pays off big time," Vezina
said.

To arm individuals against identity theft, Integrity Upfront has launched a new
blog-based web site at http://www.identitytheftprotectionlock.com that keeps
consumers updated about new methods of identity protection and credit card
protection.

"An informed consumer is a protected consumer," said Vezina.

Information published on the http://www.identitytheftprotectionlock.com blog is free
and open to all consumers. By using the site's RSS feed, consumers can get updated
automatically when Integrity Upfront releases new alerts and identity theft
protection tips.

High on Integrity's list of recommendations is the LifeLock identity protection
program. For only $10 a month, LifeLock takes proactive measures to protect your
identity and reduce junk mail and credit card offers, which are principal avenues
for personal information breeches. LifeLock offers a $1 million guarantee against
identity theft for people on the program. Additionally, Integrity Upfront has
secured a 10% discount for all readers of its
http://www.identitytheftprotectionlock.com blog when they use promotion code RV42.

"We just haven't seen anything better than this," Vezina said. "Its cost is minimal
and it offers incredibly effective protection from identity theft."

To get your FREE identity theft protection alerts and tips from Integrity Upfront,
or to find out more about LifeLock, visit
http://www.identitytheftprotectionlock.com.


[1] Represents cumulative figures from agencies in the U.S. (FTC) and Canada.
[2] Based on statistics from the U.S. Department of Justice as reported by the
Identity Theft Resource Center.


Web Site: http://www.identitytheftprotectionlock.com

Contact Details: From: Integrity Upfront
Media Contact: Randy Vezina, President
Phone Number: 1-705-475-9889
Fax: 1-705-840-1656
E-mail: rvezina@cogeco.ca