Last year, more than 8 million adults fell victim to identity theft in the United States.
Approximately $50 billion is stolen each year as a result of identity-related fraud.
And contrary to popular belief, the majority of identity theft does not take place online, according to Carol Lehman of ING Financial Advisers. On Tuesday, Lehman presented a workshop on identity theft at Pittsburg State University -- a workshop that provided sobering facts but also ways to protect one's private information.
"Identity theft doesn't just hurt your wallet," she said. "It hurts your good name."
Lehman said 30 percent of identity theft occurs by "good old-fashioned pick pockets." Stolen wallets, checkbooks and other important documents from one's pocket or purse are the number one cause of identity theft in the U.S., she said.
That statistic contradicts what many believe, which is that most identity theft occurs via the Internet. According to Lehman, only 9 percent of all cases occur online. Fifteen percent of cases are caused in the home by friends or family and another 15 percent are caused by corrupt employees, she said.
Lehman said many identity theft victims aren't aware they've been victimized until it's too late. She said 63 percent of victims aren't aware until three months after the theft occurred and 18 percent go four years before they realize what happened.
To limit the amount of time it takes for someone to notice their identity has been stolen, Lehman suggests that everyone regularly monitor their bank accounts, credit card statements and bills, while also demanding to know why any person or organization is asking for personal information, such as one's Social Security number.
"This sounds like common sense stuff," she said, "but you just have to be aware of what's going on out there."
To protect oneself against identity theft, Lehman said no one should carry his or her Social Security card, write one's PIN number on credit cards or ATM cards, keep financial documents in one's vehicle or choose obvious passwords for online accounts. She also said all documents with personal information, if not to be kept, should be shredded rather than simply thrown away.
"Get a paper shredder," she said. "Every house has a computer it seems, and every house should have a paper shredder."
