But identity theft, which credit card companies such as the aforementioned are trying to thwart, is anything but humorous. Its a crime that ruins people financially, personally and professionally, often taking years to recover from.

And while credit card companies and the like are doing their best to make it difficult for these thieves to succeed, the Federal Trade Commissions 2005 statistics on complaints filed about fraud and identity theft offer some sobering statistics:

37 percent of the 686,683 complaints filed were for identity theft
255,565 complaints were received by the Federal Trade Commission in 2005, nearly 10,000 more than the previous year
People between the ages of 18 and 29 account for the highest number of identity theft victims (29 percent)
Arizona reported the highest number of identity theft victims (per 100,000 population)
58 percent of identity theft victims did not report the theft to a Credit Reporting Agency
61 percent of victims did not notify a police department
The highest incidence of identity theft occurred with credit card fraud (26 percent)

Clearly, identity theft remains a huge problem in America. However, with the help of the electronic guide, you can learn how to avoid pitfalls that lead to identity theft, or, if youre a victim, how to get your finances back in order.

With the electronic guide, youll learn exactly what identity theft is and what it is not, why identity thieves prowl after unsuspecting victims, how to detect identity theft early, ways in which to avoid common mistakes that lead to identity theft, what kinds of people are at high-risk for identity theft, what to do with your personal information when dealing with people you dont know, how identity thieves choose their victims and much, much more!