America's Fastest Growing Crime Is.....?

The Federal Trade Commission reported 9.9 million victims of Identity Theft. The FBI released the Financial Crimes Report saying Identity Theft resulted in $52.6 billion in losses.
The answer, as you guessed from the above notations is Identity Theft.

Identity thieves are smart...very smart. And they can hold someone's identity for months before ever going on that spree which becomes a nightmare for the victim. How and where can they get your information? They can get it from your computer, from the garbage, your mailbox, while in a store line shopping, or while on line shopping! You might feel safe if you don't do business on line, but companies that have your information most certainly do!
Here are 4 quick tips for protecting yourself....

1) Place fraud alerts on your credit report (they must be renewed every 90 days).
2) Order ALL THREE Free Credit Reports (federal law says you can - once a year).
3) Do an "opt out" of any unsolicited credit card offers.
4) Get friendly with a paper shredder.

In times like these (a struggling economy) theft of many kinds are sure to increase because people are desperate. Protect yourself any way possible.
Anyone have additional protection ideas or comments?

Thank you for making me Your Orange County Real Estate Connection.

Best regards,

Michael Caruso