This hub is dedicated to the millions of victims of identity theft and to preventing new victims.  If you've been through this, you know what a pure sort of Hell it is.  The mission is to educate and put tools in people's hands so that they can avoid becoming a victim of the fastest growing crime trend in America.

It's common for crime victims to blame themselves for becoming victims, and identity theft is no different. To that end, I'm going to tell you a story about a friend of mine. Could my friend have done more to protect himself? Perhaps, but it's not his fault. You can bet darn tootin' that he's doing everything he can to protect himself now, including using top-of-the-line tools.

Anyway, my friend -- we'll call him "Pete" -- has endured an absolute nightmare that continues to this very day. The authorities tell him that his case is unusually severe, but it happens. Oh yes, believe me, it happens.

Pete used to be a fairy typical American family man, a homeowner and respected member of his community. For about a decade, he worked for a media conglomerate with its offices in New York. He lost his job last year, and shortly thereafter learned that some criminal had been operating under his identity for a few years.

As I mentioned, this was not a typical case of identity theft so don't get too paranoid. Most times, identity thieves steal someone's information for the purpose of borrowing money, charging things and leaving the victim (or the lender) stuck with the bill. That type of fraud occurs in roughly half of all cases of stolen identity, according to recent numbers from the FTC. It is a real hassle to undo the harm to one's credit, and some people never do manage to restore their reputation. But worse things can happen. Worse things do happen.

Pete, for example, learned that he had a criminal record. The crook who had robbed Pete of his identity was an ex-convict. He had used Pete's good name to get a pretty good job, an apartment, and a few credit cards which he actually paid. (Pete blames himself because he could have easily caught the credit shenanigans if he had checked his credit report regularly.) Unlike the common identity thief, the man who impersonated Pete actually did pay his bills on time, apparently just wanting a normal life that an ex-con finds hard to attain.

One might even have some sympathy for this criminal: Here was a guy who just wanted a fresh start in a society that looks down on criminal records. He used Pete's name out of desperation, probably. To his credit, he worked hard and paid his bills, at least for a while.

Old habits die hard, it seems. A drug habit snuck up on him, and he started committing smash-and-grab car break-ins to support his habit. One time, he got caught and put through the system. Somehow, he did this in Pete's name Apparently, since the criminal appeared to have no record, nobody bothered to run his prints through the national crime database. Budget cuts, you know.

The criminal got off pretty easily -- court ordered drug treatment -- then disappeared, either reverting to his old identity or stealing someone else's.

The problem started for Pete when he would applyfor new jobs. He was always rejected in the end, despite offers from hiring managers. Pete decided to get his background checked. Much to his unpleasant surprise, the check showed him to be a drug addict and thief.

It has been very difficult for Pete to get his life back. The criminal was smarter than most, disappearing after completing his court-ordered drug treatment. The authorities know who he is thanks to his fingerprints, and they know his previous address thanks to all the accounts he opened in Bill's name. They simply can't find him. Most likely, he has moved on to another victim's identity. The only way he is likely to be caught is if he commits another crime and they bother to check his prints.

Pete still has not found a job, partially because his record, while officially clear, turns up as dirty on the deluxe background checks used by corporations. Months after starting the process of restoring his name, he continues to try to establish his innocence with the credit agencies (In this sense, one is guilty until proven innocent as an ID theft victim) though, thankfully, this part of it seems to be close to resolution.

Let Pete's story be a warning: Don't let this happen to you. Ten million Americans will become ID theft victims this year. Protect yourself!