In January, the State Bar of Texas introduced its Identity Fraud Flag Program, which seeks to assist attorneys who have been victims of identity fraud and protect them from scammers potentially attempting to impersonate them. The program gives lawyers a way to voluntarily report to the bar that they have been the victim of identity fraud and acts as a safeguard for the bar to protect both its members and the public.

State Bar of Texas Membership Director Karen Rebernak, who oversees the program, said many attorneys don’t provide any public contact information on their Find a Lawyer profile, which is available at texasbar.com. She said a lack of information can make it difficult to confirm an attorney’s identity, and this is a major factor in several of the identity fraud cases she sees.