Identity Theft Protection

Identity theft is here to stay….. learning about Identity Theft Protection is your first line of defense. It's your identity, your life and your credit at stake. Closing your eyes and going into denial that it's a real problem isn't going to help you, either. We're living in the Information Age and your information is out there just waiting to be stolen.

Identity theft has emerged as one of the dominant white collar crime problems of the 21st Century. Every 3 seconds another identity is stolen.

For the seventh straight year, the Federal Trade Commission says identity theft is the largest consumer complaint and the fastest growing crime in America. In 2007, the FBI reported that identity theft affected 9.91 million Americans. That's 9,991,000. There are probably many more cases that went unreported. It accounted for $52,600,000,000 (billion) in losses in 2007.

Most identity theft victims never know their identity has been stolen until they get phone calls and letters from collections agencies or even the IRS telling them they owe money - usually a LOT.

Fixing your identity is a nightmare. It should seem easy and straightforward but it's not. An average victim spends 300-600 hours to simply prove they're not a thief.

It's sad but true - if you're a victim of identity theft, creditors consider you guilty until you can prove you're innocent.

What can you do to protect your identity?

Some quick and easy things you can do for identity theft protection are:

• Check your credit reports from all three credit bureaus
• Opt out of unsolicited credit card offers
• Put fraud alerts on your credit report
• Buy a shredder and use it

A good solution for many people is to hire professionals to protect their identities. There are many identity theft protection plans to choose from. The best ones give you a guarantee of full-service help if your identity is stolen.

Whatever you choose to do, be pro-active in protecting your identity and personal information. Simply reacting to identity theft isn't enough anymore. Too many thieves have found out this is a safe, easy, money-making crime to commit. They're out to get you.

Don't cross your fingers and hope it won't happen to you. Identity theft protection can keep you from becoming a victim in the first place.