With well over 236+ million personal data records lost or exposed in the United States since 2005; chances are your identity is already lost.
In the United States alone, there were approximately 15 million victims of ID Fraud in 2006; with over $56 billion in losses. Over the last 5 years 46 million people have been victims of identity theft.
So why then are so many people are ignoring the problem? "Oh, it won't happen to me," people think. They know that identity theft is a problem, but they can't visualize what it would be like to go through.
Most people don't understand that their identity is their most valuable asset. It is worth more than everything they own, combined. Your home, car, credit rating, checking account, mutual funds, and even future earnings are only a portion of what's at stake.
Your identity is your net worth. Your entire financial life. Where it has been, where it is now and where it is going. And people give in to apathy. We hear the stories, but we don't make any changes. We protect our homes with deadbolts and alarms, but we do little to protect our identities, which are worth more!
Identity theft is not just about paper shredders and checklists.
The many checklists that are promoted on so many websites and articles will help you start to protect yourself, but they are usually overwhelming. Like so many people, so busy with work and life that completing hundreds of tasks in a weekend seems daunting. It just doesn't compete with spending time with family and friends.
The result? We fail to take action and leave ourselves vulnerable to attack.
It just reminds us once again that the biggest ally for identity thieves is the continuing apathy of consumers.
