ID Theft Facts:

These are the cold, hard facts about identity theft.

• Ten million Americans will be victimized by identity theft in 2009.
• Credit card fraud is only one of many types of fraud committed by identity thieves
• Identity theft is one of the fastest-growing crime trends.
• Low-tech methods are by far the most commonly used by ID thieves.
• Most ID theft victims don't find out about the crime until months or years after it occurs.
• An ounce of prevention really is worth a pound of cure.
• Identity Theft Protection Blog

ID Theft Damage Is Quick, Repair Slow

According to the FTC, identity thieves begin doing harm within a week of stealing your information, but victims do not find out about it until months or years later. Less than half (48 percent to be exact) of victims learn of the fraud within three months. Many do not find out about it until years later when they get a letter from the IRS stating that they're being audited or get turned down for a loan or discover that they have a criminal record that they did not know about since the thief used the victim's identity to "do the time."

The reason they get away with it is that most people don't keep track of everything that's being done in their name, even though it's incredibly cheap to do so. For less than $10 a month, you can monitor your identity. Why on Earth wouldn't you?

Whether you use Identity Lookout or some other product, it's worth it just for the peace of mind.

If you have fallen victim to identity theft, you know what a nightmare it can be. If you have not fallen victim consider yourself lucky, and please take every precaution. Prevention is the best medicine!