Identity theft has become the fastest growing crimes in the United States.

It can happen to anyone unless you take steps to protect yourself.

Identity theft can ruin your name and your credit through erroneous charges and purchases, and even through the obtainment of loans that you neither applied for nor received funds from.

There are simple steps to protect yourself from identity theft, simple ways that help in the long run.

According to statistics from federal officials, one in every twenty Americans will fall victim to this crime. The only way to prevent this from happening is by reducing the risk that such a crime will affect you. Should you fall victim to fraud identity theft, then all is not lost.

The Javelin 2010 Identity Theft report has calculated that 39% of all fraud cases in 2009 were new account fraud. In 2008, the same crime was only at 33%. Many of these fraudulent new accounts were opened using the Internet and this isn’t limited to credit card accounts. Of the total new account fraud, 29% were fraudulent cell phone accounts.

According to the Better Business Bureau, one way to instill protection for identity theft is the conscientious review of your credit report and being on the lookout for new accounts opened in your name.

You should also read your bank and credit card statements to make sure that all of your charges are accurately reported. As soon as you see anything suspicious, report it right away to the bank or credit card company, whatever the amount may be.

 The Surge of Online Shopping

The increase of the identity theft can be attributed in part to the expansion of online consumer shopping. A major source of identity theft occurs as a result of information obtained from online credit card usage.

What To Do If You Are A Victim of Identity Theft

If you think that you have been a victim of identity theft, you should:

•  File a police report immediately. This is important as this is evidence to be presented to creditors to claim your rights as a victim of identity theft.
• Report the identity theft to the Federal Trade Commission as this informs law enforcement officials throughout the United States of the pending investigation.
• Register Fraud Alert on your credit reports. This can inform credit reporting services of anomalous activity on your credit for ninety (90) days.

If  you or someone you know has been a victim of identity theft, contact the Strom Law Firm, LLC for a free consultation to discuss your legal rights.