How Do You Protect Against Identity Theft?
Identity theft is a modern problem, a crime facilitated by the use of checking accounts, credit cards, ID numbers and computerized banking systems. The incidence of identity theft has grown exponentially since the 1990s. A Federal Trade Commission survey revealed that 3.7 percent of all Americans became aware that they had been victimized by identity theft in 2005 [source: FTC]. That works out to more than eight million Americans in a single year — and those are just the people who realized they were ID theft victims. The effects of identity theft can be devastating as well. Victims may directly lose hundreds or thousands of dollars out of pocket, spend hours recti
