Identity Theft in Illinois

Illinois has the tenth highest rate of identity theft in the United States. Out of every 100,000 residents, 93.8 people will become victims of such crime; in a recent year, more than 12,000 Illinoisans reported identity theft to the Federal Trade Commission.

Criminals are stealing Illinois addresses, birth dates, names, and especially social security numbers, and using them to damage victims' credit scores, bank accounts, and many other aspects of their lives. The IRS recently reported that tax-related identity theft is on the rise; taxpayers find out when they try to file their return that there was another returned submitted using their social security numbers, and the thieves walked away with the refund the taxpayers were counting on. Medical identity theft allows criminals to get cosmetic surgery, elective procedures, and even everyday health care. Employment identity theft lets criminals get a job - or allows criminals to sell victims' good names and backgrounds to someone else - which often goes undetected until victims check their annual Social Security Administration earnings statement and see that there has been income reported by an employer they do not recognize.

However, Illinois residents have several options available to protect themselves. Identity Theft Protection services offer customers 24-hour monitoring of their identity - social security numbers, bank accounts, credit card numbers, and so forth - and move quickly to block any suspicious activity. Many Illinois customers of such protection services appreciate knowing that such crime is more likely to be detected quickly. Another wise strategy for Illinois residents is to protect their social security number. While many businesses in Illinois routinely ask for a SSN, it is always up to the individual whether or not to give that information; any request for a SSN should be met with the question of why it is needed, how it will be used, how it will be protected by the requester, and what consequence there will be, if any, for not sharing it.

Illinoisans can protect themselves from becoming victims of identity theft by taking simple steps to protect their personal information and by making smart decisions with how that information is shared.