Top 5 Statistical Truths About Identity Theft

Surely enough, identity theft has become a common word of mouth

. It may be the fastest and largest crime to hit this generation. It has already affected a lot of people and still continues to do so. Reducing the probability of getting victimized may be possible if people become more aware about this crime and its prevention.

Here are some truths about identity theft that is worth knowing:

- Victims who reported family members or relatives as culprits for the misuse of their personal information are estimated to make up 13%.

- The crime rose to 23% in 2008, in the United States alone amounting to 10.1 million reported cases.

- The crime makes up 26% of all complaints to the FTC. It has been the top complaint for nine years already.

- Credit card fraud or credit-related identity theft makes up 20% compared to the other types of the crime.

- Victims under the ages of 20-29 constitute 24%.

These statistics only show that anyone can be an identity thief and surely enough, anyone can be a victim. Even your relatives, family members and close friends could victimize you so awareness and vigilance should be practiced in order to protect yourself against the crime. If there is no need to divulge personal information such as your Social Security number to relatives or anyone, then don't.

The crime is also rising with no sign of stopping. No one knows for sure when it started but it has been around for a long time and has developed over time. The advent of the internet only made it more severe. Although, dumpster diving and stealing still make up the biggest proportion of identity theft methods, acts of phishing and hacking have rampantly spread through the web affecting regular online users.

The most common form of the crime is credit identity theft. Well, it's all about the money anyway. You should think that the main purpose of identity thieves is to gain money or properties. What's worse is that a victim may only know his situation too late and may reflect a bad record in his credit reports.

Credit reports are essential in detecting this crime because it states the consumer's financial status. When a thief has gained access to your accounts, opened a new account or has charged credit to your existing accounts, you will be able to detect these activities in your credit reports. Once you notice irregularities in your credit report, call a credit bureau right away and inquire about the erroneous information. Then file a report when you've established that it really is the work of an identity thief.

by: Leo Chu

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