Identity theft is becoming a serious problem in the USA. In Illinois, for example, it has come to light that criminals are increasingly using victim's identity to obtain government money or benefits. For the first time since 2002, government documents or benefits fraud was the number one reported identity theft complaint. A report by Consumer Sentinel Report showed that 25% of all the complaints were related to identity theft.

But identity theft is not just limited to credit card fraud, as used to be the case earlier. Criminals are increasingly targeting government documents or benefits to obtain money illicitly. In fact, any type of benefit you apply for and benefit from can be targeted. According to the report, credit card fraud complaints have steadily declined while government benefits frauds have continued to move upward.

• Connecticut Residents Lost Millions from Identity Theft and Cyber Crime in 2010
• Protect Yourself from Identity Theft
• Cyber Breaches Expose More To Identity Theft
• Fight Identity Theft
• Ways to Prevent Identity Theft