John Sileo, America’s Top Identity Theft Expert
Program Titles
- Companies that proactively train their employees and inform their customers about identity theft protection not only significantly lower the chances of a costly data breach
John Sileo, on Identity Theft: Several years ago, my business partner used my identity to embezzle $300,000 from our clients.
One of the clients eventually caught on thought I’d done it, and spent the next two years trying to put me in jail. The liabilities destroyed my business. The two-year criminal case sucked the life right out of me, and the financial troubles just about ruined my marriage. All because I failed to protect my identity.
At some point, I woke up and decided I was responsible for keeping this from happening to other people and companies.
Identity theft quickly became America’s fastest-growing crime, so I was frequently asked to speak about it. That responsibility became a passion in no time, and I’ve been a full-time identity theft speaker ever since.
Q. Who are your best audiences?
A. Let me answer that at two levels. Every person with a Social Security number is at risk of identity theft, meaning nearly everyone can benefit from my presentation. One in ten households will experience identity theft this year, with an average recovery cost of $6,600 and several hundred hours.
Implementing the tools I cover in my presentation can eliminate or drastically reduce almost all of their risk. This will affect your audience at a personal level.
However, at another level (which entails business profitability and responsibility), organizations hire me because they need their employees or members to understand the value of the private data that they handle every day.
Our economy is built on information, whether it’s a client’s credit card number, a patient’s medical file, employee records, or sensitive intellectual capital. Suppose employees/executives/board members don’t believe in the inherent value of that information (and the resulting liabilities of collecting, storing, and handling it). In that case, we can never expect them to protect it.
When I motivate the audience to think twice about company privacy, their return on investment (by preventing a costly data breach) can be hundreds of times my speaking fee.
Companies that proactively train their employees and inform their customers about identity theft protection not only significantly lower the chances of a costly data breach but are delivering a level of customer service that differentiates them from their competitors.
Safety sells.
Companies like TJX (who just had a data breach of 45 million identities) learned the hard way about the profitability of privacy. My audiences understand that before it happens.
Q. How does your audience feel when they walk out the door?
A. Motivated to protect their privacy and empowered with the tools to make it happen.
I’ve spoken at national conferences for Pfizer (technology group), The Federal Reserve Bank, AIG, Blue Cross Blue Shield (medical identity theft), Prudential Real Estate (top 50 producers), Fifth Third Bank (best retail customers), Premier Bankcard (employee training), The Principal Financial Group (national safety week), Drury Inn Hotels (executives/managers conference), many small and mid-size financial and estate planning firms, law firms, insurance providers (client wellness events), universities (highest risk demographic) and national associations (member wellness).
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