Identity theft is a major crime that affects Americans from all walks of life:

• According to the FTC’s September 2003 report, 27.3 million Americans have been victims of identity theft in the last five years, including 9.91 million people or 4.6% of the population in the last year alone.
  
  
• Nearly 85% of all victims find out about their identity theft case in a negative manner. Only 15% of victims find out due to a proactive action taken by a business.
  
  
• 16% say it was a friend, relative or co-worker who stole their identity.
  
  
• The average time spent by victims is over 600 hours, an increase of more than 300% over previous studies.
  
  
• Last year’s identity theft losses to businesses and financial institutions totaled $47.6 billion and consumer victims reported $5 billion in out-of-pocket expenses.
  
  
• While there are numerous tips and suggestions for “protecting” yourself from Identity theft, the fact is no one is immune. You insure your home, your car, and your health.
  
  

What about your identity?
Imagine that you have been saving for your first home and are ready to make the big purchase. You have finally saved enough for the down payment and discover your loan was declined due to credit fraud that happened years prior. The emotional impact of identity theft has been found to parallel that of victims of violent crime.