By Steve Wartenberg
THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH
More than 8,000 Ohioans last year became the victims of identity theft, a crime that's still sweeping the nation.
"It's the fastest-growing crime in the United States, and
10 million people in the United States were affected last year," said Ohio Attorney General Richard Cordray.
To mark National Protect Your Identity Week, which runs through Friday, he and other experts held a news conference to warn Ohioans of the dangers of identity theft and offer tips on how to avoid it and what to do if it happens.
State residents filed 8,237 identity-theft complaints with the Federal Trade Commission in 2008, up from 7,178 in 2007 and 6,878 in 2006.
"It's on the rise," said Cpl. Zach Scott of the Franklin County sheriff's office. "And when they get someone's (credit-card) information, what they do is start hitting them as fast as possible."
I think that identity theft from credit reports is one of the most important things we talked about today in class. It is so easy for someone to steal a wallet and use someone elses credit card without them knowing that people really need to take the time to look at their credit reports. Many college students in particular don't take the time to follow their finances correctly and these are the people who are going to be hit the hardest.
Posted by: Kelsey Hoffman
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