Households, telephone booths, and garbage areas are common places where criminals loiter around to look for their prey. Thieves simply want it the easiest way to earn without exerting much effort. If a culprit gets into hands-on control of one s number, it could be a start of a cycle of indefinite crimes against the legitimate owner, would lead the poor victim and his family into rubbles of chaos that can t easily be repaired. Identity theft occurs when someone steals personal information and pretends to be you to obtain credit cards, loans, and even jobs by using your work references. Identity thieves only need to know your Social Security number, name, and address to wreck your good credit. Using easily accessible public records, they can learn your place of employment, date of birth, and mother's maiden name. According to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), phishers send an email or pop-up message that claims to be from a business or organization that you deal with --- for example, your Internet Service Provider (ISP), bank, online payment service, or even a government agency. The message usually says that you need to "update" or "validate" your account information. You can easily check your existing credit cards and see fraudulent purchases. What about checking the accounts that you don't know about? Identity thefts may open new accounts for mobile phones, credit cards and even make larger purchases like buying an apartment and you won't know it unless the credit collectors finally trace the bills back to you after the perpetrators run off with the bills. How to Protect Yourself From Identity Theft A lot of people seem to be getting worried about the rampant occurrence of identity theft. Many and many people seem to be becoming victims of such a growing threat. What exactly is identity theft and how can it do damage to our lives? It is becoming more of a problem that requires immediate solutions that can really put a stop to it. The amount of information available on the Internet about you and those you know is almost unbelievable. Various companies offer services that provide address, criminal, civil, and professional history as well as a list of assets and bank account numbers. Also available are the Social Security number, last six addresses, current phone number as well as names and phone numbers of neighbors.