consumers pay this portion as well, just indirectly. The average victim
spends hundreds of hours trying to restore his or her identity.
Although most victims are discovering the abuse earlier (and quick
action is key in reducing the time it takes you to clean your records
up), it now takes longer on average to eliminate fraudulent transac-
tions from credit reports and other sources than ever before.Stay alert to avoid this kind of attack, and take the following actions
wherever you roam online:➟ Be conservative with personal information online,
whether it’s on your social networking page, dating
site, discussion board, survey, quiz, or somewhere
else. ID thieves look to accumulate information
about you.➟ Never delay.If you see a questionable charge on an
account, check it out. The sooner you identify and
begin to solve a case of identity theft, the easier it is
to clean up.ID theft may also be very emotionally distressing.
Most victims feel violated and frustrated, particularly
because they don’t know how or from where the
information was stolen. If you’re a victim of ID theft,
get help from the Identity Theft Resource Center at
http://www.idtheftcenter.org.If one family member’s identity is compromised, it
increases the risk to other family members. If your
child or grandchild is a victim, for example, some of
your information may make its way into criminal
hands. Don’t assume that youth is any protection from
ID theft. Some children’s identities are stolen even
before they’re born if parents announce the child’s
name and expected birth date in a public way. If some-
thing happens to anybody in your family, take all the
steps given here to monitor your credit reports, finan-
cial accounts, and medical records to spot irregularities.268
Part III: Protecting Your Wealth and Your Health