Signs of identity theft can come in different forms, so be aware and report identity theft as soon as you can. They can appear as bank statements from unknown accounts, credit reports with cards or loans you don’t know about, or calls from a collection agency looking for money you don’t recall owing. All tips can lead to financial ruin and tarnishing your name because you were a victim of identity theft.

The first sign of theft could be a change in your billing cycle and act as a red flag to tell you it’s time to report identity theft. When your bills stop arriving on schedule, you need to find out why.

Identity theft is fast becoming on of the top threats consumers face today. With more folks using the internet and email each year, scammers are taking to the cyber-waves in an effort to take your identity and your hard earned cash.

So what can you do to protect yourself? Knowledge is your best weapon of defense. Knowing what to look for and what to avoid can help you steer clear of trouble.

Here are some tips for avoiding scam emails, also know as phishing emails:

If you put “Identity Theft” into Google, you will find over 12.5-million hits. A few years ago you would have had only a few. In fact, identity theft has increased so much over the last few years that many companies have come up with either identity theft insurance or identity theft protection. Prevention, or protection, is more useful than after-the-fact insurance.

Only if you never turn on your radio or TV will you not have heard of the identity theft protection company, Life Lock. Life Lock does not claim to do much that you could not do for yourself. They even tell you that for free you can:

Imagine for a moment, what it would be like to receive the news that someone has committed identity theft, in your name. For example, you go to your local bank, an establishment that your family has used for years, to apply for a home or auto loan. Everything seems to be going well, when the loan officer comes back with papers stating that you owe some outstanding bills, some very hefty outstanding bills.

Identity theft has certainly taken consumers by storm recently. You’ve seen commercials all over the web and on tv, right? They all make claims to protect your identity.

But the big question is - how necessary is Identity Theft protection service? Do you really need to pay a few dollars a month to have professionals protect your identity? Well, that all depends on how much time you have and to what extent you will go to in order to clean up any mess left behind should a criminal decide that it’s your turn to become a victim.

Eleven states including Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Georgia, Idaho, Iowa, Michigan, Missouri, Oregon, South Carolina and Virginia still don’t have credit-freeze laws. A credit-freeze is no more than the ability for you to put a temporary freeze on your credit report, locking out the criminals, and putting you in charge. Businesses don’t like it, but you should. Here’s why…

Identity Theft is No Joke

Teen identity theft becomes a growing problem! Although many adults have been victims of identity theft and many more are concerned about this kind of crime, this new wave of identity theft focuses on teenagers and even preteens.

In fact, one study reports that the age group most affected with teen identity theft is between 10 and 16. And this presents a difficult challenge for young people. Because sadly, young victims like teens often do not know how to protect themselves. And before they can even get a good start in life, they already have a big problem on their hands.

The identity theft risk with debit cards or ATM cards lies in their PIN number. There are three main ways an identity thief can steal your PIN and access your bank account:

1. The first is if you leave your PIN somewhere that is accessible, in the worst case if you leave your PIN recorded somewhere with your debit card. A thief who takes your purse or wallet and gets possession of your debit card can do very little with it until he gets your PIN. With your PIN he gains full access to your bank account as if he were you.

This year research companies Javelin and Gartner did not agree with the FTC’s reported number of identity theft victims in the US during 2006. Gartner topped out at 15 million and Javelin claimed identity theft was diminishing. The reports made by consumer to the FTC were in between.

No matter what the illusive real number is, a few things come to mind these three expert groups might agree on in regard to factually measuring the victims and affects of the identity theft crisis:

The first is what is called a synthetic identity, where parts of your information such as your social security number is mixed with another persons name at an unrelated address.

CRIMINAL VIOLATIONS

So what happens if a criminal uses your name and information when he or she gets arrested. There are procedures to correct your record within the criminal justice databases. These procedures can vary from state to state and even from county to county. Some states have enacted laws with special procedures for identity theft victims to follow to clear their names. You should check with the office of your state Attorney General , but you can use the following information as a general guide.