Where's the love?

Just under 10 million Americans are the victims of identity theft every year. According to the Identity Theft Resource Center, the average out-of-pocket expense is $808, and the time to resolve is 175 hours.

So why did I title the section as I did?

Because the most common reported perpetrator in cases where a child's identity is stolen is the child's parent! This came to light when an 18-year-old family friend who is about to deploy to Iraq for 12 months found out that he has a foreclosure from age 13 as well as two delinquent credit cards in his name from when he was 7 and 15!  And this crime appears to be the work of his own mother.

If you find yourself the victim of identity theft, do the following:

1. Contact your local police department and file a report.  If the crime has taken place in another city, you may be directed there.
2. Contact one of the three major credit bureaus and place a FRAUD ALERT on your account.  It will automatically be placed on the other bureaus.
3. File a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission.

Once you file a complaint, you are allowed a free credit report beyond the free annual one allowed by law.