It’s scary to think how many people I talk to that know about identity theft but think that they’re not at risk. I don’t know if they just don’t understand it well enough or they think that they’re not rich enough, well known enough or something that keeps them from being a target.

I certainly hope you’re not in that camp. I mean, take a look at these stats from the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), released in September 2003:

• 27.3 million Americans have been victims of identity theft in the last 5 years

• The total cost of identity theft to consumers is $5 billion and the total cost to financial institutions is $33 billion

• Complaints filed with the FTC in 2003 about identity theft were up 42 percent

• According to CBSNews.com, someone’s identity is stolen every 79 seconds - and the thief opens accounts in their name and goes on a spending spree

And these stats are from almost 5 years ago - don’t you think it’s probably even worse today?

Don’t underestimate your chances of having your identity stolen. Take the necessary precautions to be safe.