Informative Speech

BreAnna Williams
March 20th 2019

Informative Speech: Audience Assessment

Specific Goal: My audience will understand (or learn or realize or become acquainted with) identity theft.

(Identify in one phrase exactly the ONE meaningful idea you want your audience to understand. You
will echo this idea again in your thesis and finally in your conclusion. You will not say your specific goal
out loud.)

My Narrowed Topic:
a. Strategy: I’ll teach my topic by explaining what identity theft is and how it occurs, also what you can
do to prevent yourself from being a victim and what you can do if you are victimized.

b. Narrow Focus: ( The focus of your speech must be narrow enough for a five –minute “post-hole” -
narrow but deep speech. Narrow your topic twice choose one of your main points and turn that into
your entire speech).

Original topic_Identity theft

Narrower topic what is it, who is at risk
Even narrower topic What it is, what to do if it occurs, what you can do to prevent it.

Ethos: -Primary Ethos: As a bank fraud investigator, I speak with victims of identity theft every day, part of
my job is to try to identify when I am speaking to an impersonator (someone who has stolen one’s identity)
and I have also been a victim of identity theft.

-Secondary Ethos: I will cite 5 expert references.

[NOTE: A minimum of three references is required. If you chose a number less than three, stop now. Go
back and find more authoritative references. You do not count as a reference! See the SLCC Library for
great references: http://libweb.slcc.edu/]

Audience Knowledge Level: Most audience members have heard of the topic, or have little knowledge of
the topic.

Adaptation to Audience Knowledge: I will help my audience understand my topic by using examples, stories,
statistics, and trying to avoid information overload.

Pattern of Organization: I’ll use a topical pattern of organization.

 Informative Speech: Outline

Identity Theft

Introduction:

I. Hook: Most of us have hear of identity theft or seen an identity theft monitoring service commercial, but
most of us brush it off because we don’t think that it will happen to us, or that if it does happen to us it is not a
big deal.

II. Thesis: I’m here to tell you that it is a big deal, because once someone has that information, they have it
forever and it’s important to know how to protect yourself.

III. Ethos: As a Bank Fraud Investigator, I speak with victims of identity theft every day, part of my job is to try
to identify when I am speaking to an impersonator (someone who has stolen one’s identity) and I have also
been a victim of identity theft.

IV. Preview:
1. How identity theft occurs
2. What you can do to help prevent identity theft
3. What you can do if you are already a victim of identity theft

Transition: First, is the biggest “how”.

Body

I. There are many ways that identity theft occurs and information gets spread
A. Information compromised
i. Someone who you gave access to information, but they used it in a way they weren’t
supposed to
ii. Databreach with information stolen and sold on the dark web
B. Darkweb
i. Dark web is accessed using the onion router, created by the navy (Shadel, D., &
Wertheimer, N. 2018)
ii. “Fullz” profiles are sold online with information for as low as $2.99 (Shadel, D., &
Wertheimer, N. 2018)

Transition: Now we need to know how to prevent our information from landing in the wrong hands as best we
can.

II. Some of the easiest things you can do are -

A. List points -
i. Limit information/cards in wallet, protect information and devices with passwords, avoid
suspicious emails or websites, etc. (Luthi, B. (2019))
B. Request a credit freeze
i. Free, easy to remove with PIN, can request with all 3 bureaus,
ii. Stop release of credit information without your consent/removing freeze (Free Security
Freeze, 2018)
Transition: Now that we have discussed what to do to prevent yourself from becoming a victim, if you are
already a victim, there are some things you can do to prevent further damage.

III. Take these steps -

A. Contact issuer, review credit report, file police report, place fraud alert, credit freeze (if not done
previously) . (Luthi, B. (2019))
B. Credit monitoring services
i. Typically a fee
ii. “Most of this you can do yourself. It’s not necessary to pay for an expensive monitoring
service to protect yourself from identity theft. Many so-called identity theft protection
services have so many holes and exceptions in their guarantees that they don’t really
offer you the protection you think you are getting. “ Loftsgordon, A., & O’Neil, C. (2017).
Transition to close: These are just a few simple things that can help you not be a victim of identity theft,

Conclusion:

I. Summarize main points/thesis: Now that you know how it occurs, what you can do to prevent it, or
what to do if you become a victim,
II. Bookend: you can help protect your credit and know that identity theft is a big deal.
III. End the speech memorably: In 2019, things as little as getting a phone plan requires good credit, so
taking these steps can help you lead a brighter financial future.

References:
Insert here complete bibliographical information for your references (at least three are required).
Arrange references in alphabetical order. Use APA format. You can use Microsoft Word, easybib.com,
and many other sites/programs to do the works cited section for you!
‘
Free Security Freeze. (2018, November 01). Retrieved from https://www.experian.com/blogs/ask-
experian/credit-education/preventing-fraud/security-freeze/

Harrell, E. (2018, January 8). Victims of Identity Theft, 2016. Retrieved March 21, 2019 from
https://www.bjs.gov/index.cfm?ty=pbdetail&iid=6467

Loftsgordon, A., & O’Neil, C. (2017). CHAPTER 11: Avoiding and Dealing With Identity Theft. Credit Repair, 251–
273. Retrieved from
https://libprox1.slcc.edu/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=lir&AN=1260190
25&site=eds-live

Luthi, B. (2019, April 02). How Does Identity Theft Happen? Retrieved from
https://www.experian.com/blogs/ask-experian/how-does-identity-theft-happen/

SHADEL, D., & WERTHEIMER, N. (2018). INSIDE THE DARK WEB. (cover story). AARP Bulletin, 59(7), 10.
Retrieved from
https://libprox1.slcc.edu/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=f6h&AN=131416
096&site=eds-live