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

Identity Theft -- it isn't just for credit cards anymore!

There are as many types of identity thieves as there are types of crooks. A common misconception is that ID theft and credit card fraud are one and the same. This is not true. Someone stealing your personal information can certainly use that information to commit credit card fraud, but they can do lots of other things. Paroled felons might use your identity to get a job. (If that were to happen, you might not find out about it until years later when the IRS audits you because your SSN shows income that you did not report.) Deadbeats might use it to get their electricity service turned back on. The list goes on and on, and I do not want to give ID thieves any ideas, but suffice it to say that only 20 percent of identity theft involves credit card fraud, according to the latest statistics from the Federal Trade Commission.

Please, I beg you -- protect yourself! If this site helps one family to avoid the anguish of identity theft, it will have been worth all the effort.

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!