Identity Theft is a genuine threat, and what you're about to read will astound you. Identity theft is a grave crime and is out of control. It is up nearly 80 percent over the last 12 months and it is still going up. Identity theft is the wrongful taking of someone else's - 'real world' identity for the purpose of committing fraud. It is much more than misuse of a Social Security number; it can also include credit card, bank, passport and mail fraud. Some people believe that identity theft is a crime that only happens to others.

Identity theft is one of the fastest-growing types of financial fraud; it is the information age's new crime. Plus it's one of the fastest growing crimes in the United States. Despite the efforts of law enforcement, Identity theft is becoming more sophisticated and the number of new victims is growing. Identity theft is a serious crime and is Big Business, the FTC says Identity Theft is rampant with 10 million cases in the past year and the cold reality of it is this -- the victim cleans up the mess. Many believe it is another reason to enforce immigration laws.

Consumer Privacy and Identity Theft are today's big concerns. You could lose your identity, your privacy, even your bank account. We are living in a World without any real privacy: So Hang on to Your Identity. With so many being affected the question is should higher education institutions extend information security awareness campaigns so that they deal with issues of personal privacy protection and identity thief? Internet privacy and security, which go hand-in-hand with identity theft protection, are top of mind for Internet users. We know that many people are concerned about threats to their personal privacy, from receiving junk mail to being the victim of identity theft.

Many people think that identity theft is a crime that only happens to others. It is a challenging and scary situation to be in. On average, identity theft is not discovered until 14 months after the crime has occurred, but when the identity theft is a result of fraud by family and friends, the median loss is $15607. Identity theft is often difficult to solve and prosecute, and, in the case of families, victims may be reluctant to report relatives to the police. Stopping identity theft is a very complex proposition. Part of the battle of stopping identity theft is recognizing how this personal information is stolen and from where.

You had better take care when furnishing any personal data. Be certain you shred documents that have identifiable information, this includes everyday bills, and credit card offers. Use services that help protect your identity such as SpeakOnly.com private phone number service. SpeakOnly.com is currently providing a free private telephone numbers to US residents, I highly advocate you take advantage of this while it's available to the general public for free.