ID Theft Facts:

The 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

Protect Against and Prevent Identity Theft

Finally, some good news: It is inexpensive and easy to protect yourself from identity theft. Here are some things you can do to keep yourself safe from identity thieves:

• Shred your mail and other documents before discarding.
• Do not carry any ID except your driver's license and credit card.
• If you lose your wallet, immediately cancel all your cards and let the DMV know that you have lost the physical copy of your license.
• Monitor your identity with a product like Identity Lookout.

That last one is key: For 30 cents a day, you can monitor your identity. Try it for free. Why wouldn't you?

Whatever you do, do not be complacent about this! This is real. This is a threat.

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!