Get Identity Theft Protection
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Why Protect your Identity? |
The How To:
Identity theft is one of the fastest growing crimes in the nation, accounting for 43 percent of all complaints received by the Federal Trade Commission in 2002. The FTC also reported that it received 161,800 complaints of identity theft-up 88 percent from 86,200 the year before. Many believe that this is just a small fraction of the total number of victims. In 2002, Star Systems conducted a telephone survey that they believe indicates that as many as one in 20 adults, or 11.8 million Americans, have been victims of identity theft.
According to a May 2000 survey by CalPIRG and the Privacy Rights Clearinghouse, the average consumer victim spends 175 hours and $800 resolving identity theft problems, and it takes two to four years for victims to clear up all the resulting problems. The sooner you take action to clear your records, the better. That's why it's important to order your credit reports regularly, at least once a year.
Identity theft is one of the fastest growing crimes in the nation, accounting for 43 percent of all complaints received by the Federal Trade Commission in 2002. The FTC also reported that it received 161,800 complaints of identity theft-up 88 percent from 86,200 the year before. Many believe that this is just a small fraction of the total number of victims. In 2002, Star Systems conducted a telephone survey that they believe indicates that as many as one in 20 adults, or 11.8 million Americans, have been victims of identity theft.
According to a May 2000 survey by CalPIRG and the Privacy Rights Clearinghouse, the average consumer victim spends 175 hours and $800 resolving identity theft problems, and it takes two to four years for victims to clear up all the resulting problems. The sooner you take action to clear your records, the better. That's why it's important to order your credit reports regularly, at least once a year.