Attend workshop about protecting your finances

To give local residents expert advice and tools to protect themselves against theft of their financial information, state Rep. Stephanie Kifowit, D-Oswego, has announced that she will host a Financial Protection Workshop.

Kifowit's workshop will be from 6 to 8 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 15, at the Eola Community Center, 555 S. Eola Road, Aurora.

"In the past year, many popular retail stores have been attacked by cyber criminals who have gained access to shoppers' financial information, and I think consumers deserve personal assistance and reassurance, not just a mailed pamphlet from a store," Kifowit said.

"I don't want anyone becoming the victim of fraudulent charges."

In light of the vast number of people impacted by insecurity of credit card information, Kifowit will partner with the Illinois Attorney General's Office to host this event and provide tips on how consumers can prevent identity theft, explain steps to take if your identity is stolen, and answer any questions about the impact of data breaches. Residents may bring recent credit card statements and suspicious solicitations to review one-on-one with experts.

"Over 700 companies have experienced data breaches this year alone, and with our economy's growing reliance on technology, they will likely continue to increase. I organized this workshop so shoppers have the information they need to protect themselves against fraud and other financial crimes," Kifowit said.

"I encourage all area families concerned about this topic to attend this workshop. But for those who can't, I encourage them to review their credit and debit card statements every month to catch questionable charges before they pay their bill."

This event is free. For more information or to RSVP to this free event, contact Rep. Kifowit's constituent service office at (630) 585-1308, email Stephanie.Kifowit@att.net, or visit www.ILDistrict84.com.