"...Indeed, history is nothing more than a tableau of crimes and misfortunes..."
---Voltaire---
French author, humanist, rationalist, & satirist (1694 - 1778)

Are you or have you heard of someone who has been a victim of Identify Theft?

It can happen to anyone, and the Internet is not the only crime scene!

Identity theft is one of the  fastest growing crimes in the United States and it continues to grow year after year.  For example, in 2008, it has been reported identity theft  crimes made up twenty-six percent (26%) of all fraud complaints in the  United States.  And chances are Identity theft can happen to you in more ways than one. It is perhaps  the fastest growing crime statistic , a felony crime and unfortunately law enforcement is helpless when it comes to your effected credit record. Neither can they undo the damage.  Identity theft may have seemed tragic to you at the moment it happens---but here is the real tragedy!  Did you know there's little you can do about it once you become a victim?

Are proper precautions the best protection available for you?  Yes, you can avoid becoming a victim, if you take the proper precautions and due diligence actions to ensure your own self-protection. Here are 4 quick measures.

1. Get a good cross-cut shredder to go to work for you on papers you no longer need. They are heavy duty ones that eat up anything from CDs to credit cards.

2. Resources. Check out the US government's Federal Trade Commission's website found at  www.ftc.gov  for more information on Identity Theft. You'll be glad you did.

3. Order a credit report from all three credit agencies twice per year and review them carefully. Immediately report any suspicious activities in writing to each credit agency and be prepared to provide a detailed explanation.

4.  Call your bank. Check to see if they  have account-monitoring tools for detecting ID theft. If they don't, maybe it's time for you to find another bank.

Be aware...be vigilant , do not become an ID Theft victim!