Who are you? how to protect against identity theft

Identity theft is the assumption of another person's financial identity through the use of the victim's identifying information. Identity theft has become one of the most lucrative criminal endeavors. Facilitated by the voluminous information available on the Internet to those who know where to look, the reported incidents of identity theft have grown at an unprecedented rate. Unfortunately, while the victims of identity theft may spend years attempting to clear their credit histories and criminal records, this crime is rarely prosecuted. While numerous laws have been enacted in an attempt by the United States government to address the issue of identity theft, the best protection available to consumers is constant vigilance.