More than 11.6 million people in the U.S. reported having their identity stolen in 2011, 13 percent more than in 2010, and those numbers are likely to rise further. But you can avoid being a victim: Here are four things identity thieves don't want you to know.
It's the latest scam: A con artist calls your phone posing as a tech from a big computer company, and claims to have detected a virus on your computer. He (or she!) then asks for access to it in order to "help" you. Agree, and your troubles are just beginning.
MasterCard and Visa said Friday that they had notified issuers of its credit cards of a potential breach of the security of customer accounts. Visa blamed a third company for the error.
Identity thieves are claiming fewer victims, but those victims are spending a lot more time and money resolving the incidents, according to a survey by research firm Javelin Strategy & Research.
