Identity theft has become quite an epidemic in this country. This crime is being committed to millions of Americans every year. Unfortunately, unlike the olden days, where you trusted everyone including your neighbors, today you can never be too careful. Being too trustworthy of other people leaves you prey to having your identity stolen.

You hear about identity theft all the time, but what is it really? According to the Federal Trade Commission identity theft is anytime someone uses your personal identifying information, like your name, address, social security number, credit card number, without your permission to commit fraud or a crime.

So, in simple terms, they pretend they are you, use your information, and run up huge debt, usually credit card debt, all the while pretending to be you.

The Federal Trade Commission reported that in January 2007 there were nearly 250,000 complaints filed of identity theft, which was up 36% from that of 2006 with total losses in the range of a whopping $1.1 billion. In fact, the Federal Trade Commission estimates that an average 10 million Americans have their identities stolen every year. WOW! That is just unbelievable.

And to make matters worse, if you have fallen victim to identity theft, not only were you a victim, but you have the hassle of fixing the mess. My experience has shown that it takes the average victim of identity theft approximately 2 years, and countless hours and hours, to regain their credit and their life. Not only do you have to fight with each credit reporting agency, but with the companies reporting the claims, and then prove that you really were not the one to incur the debt. Let me tell you, it is not easy.

According to the FTC, skilled thieves can steal your identity through a number of ways:

• Steal your mail, your wallet or your purse
• Through Phishing. Phishing is when a thief poses as a legitimate company most commonly done via email to verify personal information, such as your Name, Address, Social Security number, credit card number, etc.
• They steal your information from businesses that already have that information on file.

Once a thief has your personal information, they can use that information to open accounts using your identity. There are many forms of identity theft that is currently being practiced. One form is credit card fraud, in which the person pretends they are you using your personalized information but changes the address so the cards and bill go to a different address. Then they rack up a ton of debt and don't pay the bill. Another form is through bank fraud. This is where someone either opens an account in your name and writes bad checks or pretends to be you and electronically transfers money out of your existing accounts and drains your life savings. Yet another form of identity theft is when they open a cellular phone in your name and run up the bill and then do not pay. Then the phone company is coming after you for payment. And this is just to name a few of the common ways in which someone uses your stolen information.

So, how do you protect yourself so that you don't fall victim to this horrible crime? Here are some simple steps to ensure you protect your identity:

• Make sure that you properly destroy any documents that have any information on them about you
• o This would include anything that has your name, address, account numbers, financial information of any kind
• Make sure you own a cross shredder and use it - anything that has any information on it should be shredded
• Do not trust anyone...not your friends that you trust with your life, your neighbors who watch your house while you're away...no one. Even the most trustworthy people have made mistakes when desperate. Don't risk it. Studies have shown that many identity thefts were committed by people they knew.
• Take your mail to the post office directly. Your mail box is prey for people coming by and helping themselves to your information, especially if you are mailing a bill with a check in it. Not only do they have your name and address, but they also have your bank account number and your signature.
• Be aware of mail coming to your home for someone other than yourself. This could mean that someone is illegally using your address. Make sure you notify the post office but also the company that sent the mail to your home. It may help them catch a thief.
• Check your credit reports at least once a year. You are entitled to one free credit report annually from each credit reporting agency. The easiest way to claim this is by going to http://www.freecreditreport.com/. They will pull your reports from all three agencies free of charge once a year. Make sure that you report any discrepancies you find on your credit report right away.

Again, it's up to you to protect yourself against identity theft. Call me crazy but these are the days when we really cannot trust anyone. And the more careful you are the less likely the chance that you will be a victim.

So, what do you do if you think that you have been a victim of identity theft? According to the Federal Trade Commission, there are four steps to follow if you think you have fallen victim to identity theft:

1. Place a "Fraud Alert" on your credit report. This will alert the credit reporting agencies to watch for anything suspicious and they will contact you if any new accounts are opened. There are three credit reporting agencies and if you believe that you have fallen victim to identity theft, they will place a 90 day fraud alert on your credit report for you. (Note: 90 days may not be long enough, so you may want to ask them to continue the fraud alert past 90 days if you are still concerned.) You can reach the credit reporting agencies at:

1. • Equifax: 1-800-525-6285
   • Experian: 1-888-397-3742
   • TransUnion: 1-800-680-7289

Generally, a phone call to one of the companies will place the fraud alert and all three companies will be notified. Also, if you do place a fraud alert on your account, this action entitles you to free copies of your credit reports. You will want to check the report very closely for any companies that you have not ever contacted or done business with and for accounts that you have never opened, including accounts with debts that you never opened.

1. Close any accounts that you believe have been compromised or fraudulent activity have taken place on them. You should also notify the fraud department of those companies. Usually these companies will start an investigation. Ask to be notified in writing that the investigation has taken place and what the outcome was of that investigation. Make sure that you keep good records of all of your phone conversations as well as anything that you receive in writing in the event you need it in the future.
2. File a police report. By having a written police report let's the companies involved know that you are truly serious about the crime and that you have proof that a crime was committed.
3. Report the complaint to the Federal Trade Commission. By filing a report with them, it helps the government keep track of the amount of identity theft that is being committed and helps law enforcement officials in their investigations. You can reach the Federal Trade Commission online at ftc.gov/idtheft or by phone at 1-877-438-4338.

Remember, identity theft is extremely serious. It can not only ruin you financially but cause your life to change dramatically. You need to make sure that you take all the steps necessary to ensure that you do not fall victim to identity theft.

About the Author:

Amy Rodgers is an independent writer who writes to help people and for the pure joy of writing. Read more of her work at Amys Articles.