Ten simple steps you can take to protect yourself or your family from the fastest growing crime in America. What to do now to safeguard your bank accounts, online presence, credit record and more from the horror and financial damage of identity theft. An identity theft is stolen every four seconds in the U.S., while the Federal Trade Commission reports that more than eight million people (a growing number of which are children) are victims of identity theft every year - with resulting losses of more than $15 billion, annually. Written by a national expert on identity theft and Founder of TrustedID, a leading provider of comprehensive identity theft solutions, this book gets right to the point, offering action-oriented advice designed to prevent identity theft. Find out why shopping in stores can be more dangerous than shopping online. Spot scammers, like telephone "surveyors" asking about your pet's name hoping it's the password to your online accounts. Discover how to do online social networking without getting conned by a fake "friend." Understand the latest identity theft tricks, like phishing, pharming, and skimming. Learn why old-fashioned checks can the riskiest way to pay for something. Protect yourself while traveling abroad. "Stopping Identity Theft" offers a ten-step program that covers medical identity theft, the safeguarding of accounts and personal and public records, safe storage and disposal of personal information, and more - including how to be an informed identity theft victim if you should become one. Another in the bestselling USA TODAY/Nolo series of books, " Stopping Identity Theft " addresses this timely topic - its past, present and future - by combining legal expertise with engaging inside tips, stories and graphics.