Released: December 04, 2007

Don’t let the ID theft grich steal Christmas

Source: Sandra Block, USA Today

What do Santa Claus, the Rockettes and identity thieves have in common? They all work overtime during the holidays.

Especially identity thieves. About 8.3 million adults, or 3.7% of the adult population, were victims of identity theft in 2005, the Federal Trade Commission reported last week. That’s down from the FTC’s 2003 report, though the commission said the drop wasn’t statistically significant. Computer security analysts disputed the FTC’s numbers, arguing that incidences of identity theft are much higher.

If you’re a victim of identity theft, it’s significant, no matter what the experts say. The high-stress holiday shopping season creates lots of opportunities for crooks to steal personal information. Here’s how to avoid becoming a statistic:

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