Identity theft is one of the fastest growing crimes in America costing consumers and businesses tens of millions of dollars a year. Though there is no way to totally prevent yourself from becoming a victim of identity theft you can lower your risks of becoming a victim by taking the right precautions and understanding how identity theft occurs.

Identifying information is just that — information to identify you. Look at it closely to make sure it's accurate. Identity theft or other criminal actions can impact your credit report too. You will need to have proof that there is an error though, and by providing enough materials and even police reports to a credit reporting group you can help to make your dispute over an error on your report a successful one that can fix your rating. How long does bad information stay on your credit report?