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Article: Identity theft is a very real, very big concern.(Neighbor)
- Article from:
- Daily Herald (Arlington Heights, IL)
- Article date:
- September 4, 2002
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2002 Paddock Publications. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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Byline: Esther Hatfield District Manager, Elgin Social Security Office
While every theft is a crime, few thefts are as personal or can cause as many problems as "identity theft."
In an identity theft, someone assumes your identity to get credit in your name and steal from businesses, leaving you with the tab and the explanations.
The problem is a serious one. The numbers are unbelievable: almost 500 people have their identity stolen in America every day. That's more than 176,000 people each year - and the number keeps growing.
On average, it takes a victim 12 months just to discover the theft. By that time, all kinds of credit and ...