Defined as when one person masquerades under the identity of another, identity theft has flourished in recent years with the advent of online, faceless Internet lending and credit transactions. Although it is almost impossible for consumers to completely guard themselves against identity theft, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and other consumer agencies suggest the following

Identity theft, the illegal use of a target’s personal information, such as a social security or credit card number, to pose as that person for financial gain, is rapidly growing both in the United States and abroad. With 8.1 million victims and $37 billion dollars lost in 2010, identity theft is big business. According to