2) What is more likely to happen: having your identity stolen or having some personal item stolen?

Roughly 1 out of 26 Americans, more than 10 million people, will be victimized by Identity Theft this year. For a crime that virtually didn't exist 25 years ago, it is pretty impressive that identity theft is now as rampant as burglary, auto theft and larceny combined.

Unfortunately, all trends suggest that ID Theft numbers are growing - and fast. A big study by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), the government agency that enforces consumer protection laws, reports that ID thefts in 2003 were up 41% over the year before. If you just look at fake charges on credit card accounts, the number of problems grew 71%.

Other studies report growth rates that are even higher. Given the current rates, identity theft could well touch 1 out of 9 Americans annually by 2007.



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