About Us

ITRC Mission:
The ITRC Is a non-profit organization established to empower and guide consumers, victims, business and government to minimize risk and mitigate the impact of identity compromise and crime.

What We Do

Established in 1999, the Identity Theft Resource Center (ITRC) is the only national non-profit in the U.S. to provide live, direct identity crime advice and victim assistance at no-cost.  

Recovery Center

  • Our advisors provide preventative information as well as assist victims of identity compromise, theft, and misuse by providing customized plans to address any and all identity concerns.

     

  • Call toll-free at 1 (888) 400-5530 or live chat via our website for free direct assistance available Monday-Friday 6 AM PT – 5 PM PT

Get Involved

The ITRC is also a voice for victims and maintains the largest U.S. aggregate of data breach information, provides public research on victim impact, advises legislation, speaks to the media on public issues, works with businesses to develop educational materials, provides webinars & presentations for organizations, etc.

Our Philosophy

Learn about our Frequently Asked Questions

  • The ITRC fundamentally believes that both consumers and businesses are victims of identity theft and fraud.
  • Prevention and reduction of identity theft will require education and cooperation between consumers, businesses, law enforcement agencies, and legislators.
  • The ITRC believes that support and education of businesses has a strong positive impact on the restoration of victims’ lives, and the prevention of further identity theft.

Foundations of Identity

The ITRC is dedicated to supporting identity crime victims by empowering them with the information and tools needed to recover their identities. We also seek to prevent people and businesses from becoming a victim. To that end, the ITRC has adopted a series of principles that we believe are necessary for identity protection and preservation.

  • You have a right to an unencumbered identity.
  • You have a right to be notified if your identity credentials or data are compromised, used, or misused.
  • You have a right to remediate/recover your identity without undue burden, financial or otherwise.
  • You have a right to be acknowledged as a victim of crime.
  • You have a right to access a digital off-ramp (a non-digital process) when authenticating, verifying, or recovering your identity.

From "Nearly All Firms Have Ties With Breached Third Parties" - DarkReading, February 1, 2023

Key Staff

Eva Velasquez
President/CEO

EVA VELASQUEZ is the President and CEO of the Identity Theft Resource Center. Eva previously served at the San Diego District Attorney’s Office for 21 years and as the Vice President of Operations for the San Diego Better Business Bureau. She is a recognized leader in the field of identity compromise and crime, cybercrime, and fraud, who has been featured on CBS Mornings, NBC Nightly News, CNBC’s American Greed, Fortune, The New York Times, NPR, The Associated Press and numerous other media outlets. Eva is a recipient of the National Crime Victim Service Award from the U.S. Department of Justice and the National Consumer League’s Florence Kelley Consumer Leadership Award. She is a published author, actively contributes to various advisory boards and working groups, and is regularly invited to speak at industry and policy events, including the Identity, Authentication, and the Road Ahead Policy Forum, the MRC Authentication Summit, and the IACP Annual Conference and Exposition. Eva has also participated in briefing events for the FTC, CFPB, IRS, DHS, PRAC, DoL and the U.S. House of Representatives. She is committed to driving the ITRC’s mission to assist victims, educate the public and advocate for change for those who do not have a voice.

James E. Lee
Chief Operating Officer

JAMES E. LEE is the Chief Operating Officer of the ITRC. A data protection and technology veteran, James is the former EVP & Company Secretary of Irish application security company Waratek and former SVP & Chief Marketing Officer for Atlanta-based data pioneer ChoicePoint (now LexisNexis). He also chaired two working groups for the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) on identity management and privacy. Prior to joining ChoicePoint, James served as a global public affairs and communication executive at International Paper Company (NYSE: IP). He holds academic credentials from the University of Texas School of Information – Center for Identity, the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania, and the University of Arkansas.

Mona Terry
Chief Victims Officer

MONA TERRY is the Chief Victims Officer at the ITRC and utilizes her experience and knowledge to guide and enhance the organization’s victim services. With over 20 years of experience in the field, Mona has developed a deep understanding of the challenges facing victims of identity crimes. Through her work at the ITRC, she has been instrumental in developing supportive approaches to help identity crime victims, including recovery plans and education programs designed to help individuals and families affected by these crimes. Mona previously served at the Better Business Bureau in San Diego as the Director of Operations. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in human development from the University of California, San Diego (UCSD) and a Master’s degree in business administration from the University of Phoenix.

Publications

The ITRC has conducted surveys and produced publications since 2003 on topics including the emotional and psychological impact of identity theft, the victim aftermath of data breaches, social media habits, impact on foster youth, cyberattack trends, and more. 

Supporters & Partners

The ITRC is largely funded by the corporate supporters and foundations mentioned on this website. It takes active and involved businesses – which support our mission to combat identity theft – in order that we may continue to assist victims free of charge. Our supporters are known in the community for their proactive approach towards community involvement in general and identity theft in particular. Our supporters are noteworthy both for their integrity and for giving back to the community.

ITRC Financial Supporters

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