Identity card theft has cost millions of Americans about $5 billion. The worst thing about identity card theft is that you don't realize the crime is being done to you until you get your bills. And until then, it will be too late to do something about the theft and there is little consolation for those whose identities have been stolen.

Identity theft happens when another person has access to your personal information and then use these in fraudulent acts. Your name, credit card account, and other things that are used to identify you are used to pay for the thief's purchases and bills. Most of these transactions go unnoticed at first; a small fee for a couple of items from the grocery store and then it balloons into something bigger like a fee for classes that you don't even take.

Most banks have taken steps in assuring their clients that their accounts are secure and safe from fraud and theft, however, you should not just rely on these assurances. Take for example a prank from Zug that tested a store's measures against credit card identity theft has proven the system very very faulty. If a prankster can get away with purchases by using crazy signatures, that means that stores don't really check if the signature on the card matches the one on the receipt. If your credit card was stolen and you didn't realize it until the end of the day, everything that the thief has bought and paid for will be charged to your account.

And yet in another prank (or maybe an attempt to prove how lax credit card identity security is,) it's shown how name of those who sign for the purchase aren't really checked! Sure, it's funny that a guy can get away with buying stuf and then paying for them signed with strange phrases, but what does this say about the safety of your information and the effort banks and other establishments make in order to protect your information?

According to banks, you should take care of your own credit card identity safety. There are several sites, blogs, and how-to's in preventing identity card theft but what do the credit card companies and their affiliates do to protect you? Granted that you'd hold your end of the deal and do everything to protect your personal information, what happens if your card is stolen before you realize it?

The pranks may be really funny but it paints us reality: credit card thieves could get away with several purchases without being noticed. As far as credit card security goes, keep personal information to yourself and keep your credit card under lock and key. Don't leave the information lying around and don't write it in your planner or address book since these items can get lost or stolen. The best thing to do is to write or print all of your passwords and information and store them in a safe with the key left in your drawer at home.