National Identity Theft Victims Assistance Network (NITVAN)
Mission
The National Identity Theft Victims Assistance Network (NITVAN) seeks to expand and improve the outreach and capacity of victim service programs to better address the rights and needs of victims of identity theft and cybercrime nationwide through a national network that enhances the capacity to provide assistance to victims and encourages expansion of existing victim service programs and coalitions.
The coalitions established under NITVAN are engaged in creating, enhancing, and delivering identity theft and cyber-crime victim assistance, training and outreach to improve the ability of their coalition members to provide direct victim services.
About NITVAN
NITVAN was launched in 2010 with funding from the U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs, Office for Victims of Crime, through the Crime Victims Fund. This unique fund is financed by fines and penalties paid by convicted federal offenders, not from tax dollars. The Maryland Crime Victims Resource Center was the first recipient of the grant and developed the following 10 coalitions:
- Finger Lakes (NY) Identity Theft Coalition
- Lead Organization: Lifespan of Greater Rochester
- Identity Theft Advocacy Network (ITAN) of Colorado
- Lead Organization: Colorado Bureau of Investigation (CBI)
- Idaho Coalition Against Identity Theft
- Lead Organization: Idaho Legal Aid Services, Inc.
- Minnesota Identity Theft Coalition
- Lead Organization: Standpoint, formerly the Battered Women’s Legal Advocacy Project
- South Carolina Identity Theft Network
- Lead Organization: South Carolina Victim Assistance Network (SCVAN)
- Texas Identity Theft Network
- Lead Organization: Texas Legal Services Center (TLSC)
- New York City Identity Theft Coalition
- Lead Organization: Legal Services NYC, South Brooklyn Legal Services (SBLS)
- Arizona Identity Theft Coalition
- Lead Organization: Arizona Attorney General’s Office
- Washington Identity Theft Network Alliance
- Lead Organization: Washington Coalition of Crime Victim Advocates
- Wisconsin Identity Theft Coalition
- Lead Organization: Coalition of Wisconsin Aging Groups (CWAG)
In late 2016, the Identity Theft Resource Center (ITRC), a nationally recognized non-profit organization established to support victims of identity theft, was awarded funding under an expansion of the initial grant to continue the objectives of NITVAN and further develop the coalition base of the National Network. As part of furthering NITVAN efforts, an Advisory Committee was established to provide guidance and support on NITVAN activities.
In addition to further supporting the previously funded NITVAN coalitions, the grant helped the ITRC and DOJ OVC continue to build capacity for new and improved policy development, training, and service delivery at the local, state, and regional levels to address the needs of victims of identity theft, with additional emphasis on cyber-crime. Under the second iteration of this grant, the ITRC developed the following 11 coalitions:
- Cybercrime Support Program of West Michigan
- Region Served: West Michigan (5 counties)
- Lead Organization: Cybercrime Support Network (CSN)
- Minnesota Identity Theft & Cybercrime Information & Resource Network (MITCIRN)
- Region Served: State of Minnesota
- Lead Organization: MN Alliance on Crime (MAC)
- Michigan Elder Justice Coordinating Council & Elder Law of Michigan
- Region Served: State of Michigan
- Lead Organization: Michigan Elder Justice Coordinating Council
- The National Cybersecurity Society
- Region Served: United States and its territories.
- Lead Organization: The National Cybersecurity Society
- Iowa Identity Theft Victim Assistance Coalition
- Region Served: State of Iowa
- Lead Organization: Iowa Organization for Victim Assistance
- Massachusetts Elder Identity Theft Coalition
- Region Served: Commonwealth of Massachusetts
- Lead Organization: Massachusetts Attorney General’s Office
- Georgia Identity Theft & Cybercrime Coalition (GITCC)
- Region Served: State of Georgia
- Lead Organization: Georgia Watch
- Onondaga County Elder Identity Theft Coalition (OCEITC)
- Region Served: Onondaga County (Syracuse, NY)
- Lead Organization: Vera House Inc.
- Texas Coalition on Coerced Debt (TCCD)
- Region Served: State of Texas
- Lead Organization: Texas RioGrande Legal Aid, Inc.
- Indigenous Crime Victim Services Resource and Referral Center (ICVSRRC) Identity Theft/Cybercrime Program
- Region Served: Federally Recognized Tribes within the State of Washington
- Lead Organization: WomenSpirit Coalition
- New Mexico Office of the Attorney General’s (NMOAG) Identity Theft Coalition
- Region Served: State of New Mexico
- Lead Organization: State of New Mexico Office of the Attorney General
