Identity theft is a serious and growing crime—and we’re all at risk. The losses are staggering: By one estimate, identity theft victims in the U.S. lost $56 billion in 2020. Last year, the FTC received more reports about identity theft than any other type of complaint.

Eva Velasquez, president and CEO of the nonprofit Identity Theft Resource Center, explains how criminals get your personal information, how they use it, and how to fight back.

Additional resources:

Identity and Cyber Theft: How to Protect Yourself (including links for freezing your credit files)

Identity Theft Resource Center’s 2021 Annual Data Breach Report Sets New Record for Number of Compromises

FTC Identity Theft Homepage