That's because the nature of identity theft has changed and the threat today is more likely than ever to come from insiders -- employees with access to large financial databases who can loot personal accounts -- than from a thief stealing a wallet or pilfering your mail. Banks, companies that take credit cards and credit-rating bureaus themselves don't do enough to protect consumers, critics say.
"You can spend a lot of time and money trying to protect yourself," obtaining copies of your credit reports every three to six months, buying a credit-monitoring service to alert you when someone is making inquiries about your account or even buying identity-theft insurance, said Robert Gellman, a D.C. privacy consultant. "You can do as much as you can do, but it won't stop you from being a victim. There's nothing I'm aware of that will guarantee you not become a victim."
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