Identity theft is the fastest growing crime in the nation. According to FTC statistics, more than 10 million Americans were victims of identity theft in 2003 and the number keeps rising. As of 2004, Washington ranked #4 in the nation for fraud complaints and #8 in the nation for the number of identity theft victims. On average, identity theft victims spend approximately $1200.00 and 60 hours trying to manage the problem. The loss to businesses as a result of identity theft was approximately $50 billion as of 2003. The emotional impact of identity theft has been found to parallel that of victims of violent crime.

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