According to a survey conducted by the
FTC (Federal Trade and Commission) 4.6% of Americans involved in the
survey responded that they had been a victim of identity theft within the
past year. That means about 10 million Americans dealt with some form of
identity theft – from using existing credit cards to setting up new
accounts or
giving false identification when arrested for a crime.
It doesn’t stop there. The cost of clearing up
the theft ranged from an average of $500 to $1200 per victim. It
took them on average 30 hours to resolve the issue while also costing time
and money for businesses and agencies who assist these victims.
With all the tools available to potential
thieves along with our increasing reliance on paperless money transfers
(credit cards, debit cards and online payments) we are incredibly
susceptible to having this nightmare come true.
How can you reduce the risk and what do you do if it happens to you or
your family?
Continue to Next Subject:
Are You at Risk?
