Recent studies estimate that there are 10 million victims of identity theft annually - and that number is rising. Stealing someone's identity today is relatively easy, and the payoffs can be huge for an offender. The average amount netted from a bank robbery today is about $3,500, while the average amount netted from identity theft is $17,000. Thanks to the internet, offenders don't even have to leave their own home to commit identity theft, which makes it less risky than robbing a bank and very profitable because they can victimize many people or even just one person repeatedly.
Becoming a victim of identity theft can be frustrating, devastating, and can sometimes take years to recover from. Recovering or re-establishing your credit or good name can be a lengthy process, but there are resources to assist you.