Question: How many victims of identity theft are there in the United States?

Answer: 10 million

Question: How many hours do victims spend on the average to recover from identity theft?

Answer:175 hours

Question: How much money do victims spend on the average to recover from identity theft?

Answer: $1,500

Question: According to the United States Federal Trade Commission, how long does it take for a victim to identity theft to notice the crime?

Answer: 12 months

If you suspect any improper or illegal activity, what are the six steps you should follow immediately?

1. Check your credit report
2. Place a fraud alert
3. Start your research
4. File a police report
5. Document Everything
6. Talk to the government agencies

Six scams that are used to steal your identity.

1. Phishing Scams

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   People who send fake forms impersonating companies like AOL, Paypal etc. to get you to put in your email.

2. Nigerian Email Scam

   People who say that they need help transferring money out of the country and you’ve been selected. The helper will get a portion of the money if he pays the “transaction fees” to get it into their bank account, when really they are just paying the scammers

3. Auction Fraud

   Someone puts a fake ad on an internet auction site and let someone buy it, but doesn’t send the merchandise and keeps the money

4. Phony Identity Theft Protection

   or- people who claim to help prevent i.d. theft, but really just get your personal information and scam you

5. Lottery Scam

   people who call you and say “You have just won…” and want you to give out your personal information on the phone

6. “Make Millions Stuffing Envelopes!”

   Scam: people who claim you can have an easy work, but really the work is illegal and the scammers are disguising it to be an authentic way to earn money

Reduce your chances of becoming a victim of identity theft. Check your credit report regularly.

Question: Can Identity Theft be prevented?

Answer:Yes and No

Four things that might make you suspect you are a victim of identity theft:

1. You get a phone call or letter telling you that you have been approved or denied credit for accounts that you never requested.
2. You no longer receive your credit card statements, or you notice that some of your mail seems to be missing.
3. Your credit card statement includes charges for things you know you never bought.
4. A collection agency tells you they are collecting for an account you never opened.

The three major credit monitoring services? True Credit, Citi, and Equifax

Four things you should do now?

1. Place a fraud report
2. File a police report
3. Document everything
4. Talk to government agencies