Identity theft is an ever-evolving crime that has and will plague millions of people. There are still so many people out there that have no clue their identity has been stolen; many times they don't find out until it's too late. Once it's too late, it can take a lifetime to get your life back ... and you may still never completely get it back.

Identity thieves are everywhere and the problem is they are not easy to identify. In fact, consider youself lucky if you were able to identify the perpetrator because nine times out of ten, you won't get that lucky.

I'm not saying that to scare you, but it's true and I definitely want you to be aware at just how big of a problem identity theft is. Sadly, many people think it only goes as far as someone opening a credit or debit card in your name and the solution is to simply cancel the card(s). Some believe it only pertains to online theft. Unfortunately, it goes well beyond that my friends, well beyond.

Opening credit/debit cards in your name is only a small portion of what identity thieves are capable of doing. Did you know that many of them obtain and sell your information on the Black Market? In the same way many shoplifters steal and sell what they boosted, the same thing can happen with your identity. Now it's your personal information that's fair game for anyone who's willing to pay for a new identity. I'm sure that's not something you wanted to hear, but it's true.

There are so many ways identity thieves can obtain your information and in many situations the fault lies with you. Just check out the following list. How many of them are you guilty of doing?

10 Reasons You Could Be a Target for Identity Theft:

1. You don't check your credit/debit card receipts for your personal information
2. You carelessly leave your fuel receipts at the pump
3. You merely crumple and throw away sensitive documents instead of shredding them
4. You don't pay attention to your surroundings when entering your PIN (Personal Identification Number) at the ATM
5. You enter sensitive information on public computers while ignoring your surroundings
6. You easily fall for phishing scams (fake sites made to look like real companies you may be part of asking for your personal information)
7. You fall for other scam e-mail offers
8. You fail to install an antivirus or anti-spyware program on your computer
9. You enter personal information into your smartphone in public without regard to who's around
10. You fail to purchase a service that can protect yourself and your family from identity theft

Those are only ten reasons you could be a target; believe me, the list goes on.

Do you fall anywhere within that list? If so, you're a prime target to have your identity stolen ... maybe not today maybe not tomorrow, but perhaps soon and by the time you find out, it may be too late to get the protection needed today.