The economy being in a state of malaise, it’s not surprising that several sorts of crime are on the increase. Identity theft ranks high on the list. In prosperous times identity thieves tend to use high tech methods, coming up with telephone scams, internet website scams, email scams and other ingenious plans like taking photos of your card with a cell phone camera. When times are hard, these same thieves could resort to less sophisticated ways of stealing.

To a certain extend consumers have become fairly educated when it comes to outsmarting identity thieves. After all, you read articles and booklets on how to protect yourself from these criminals – like by shredding mail, being careful when shopping/paying online, and getting an annual credit report. Using reputable identity protection programs also helps you stay safe from the prying eyes of others.

But you’re far from in the clear now! When people are faced with losing their homes and the ability to provide for their families, it isn’t just the chic criminal anymore you need to watch out for, but the desperate identity thief as well. They could be anyone: your next door neighbor, a relative down on his or her luck, a coworker or someone you wouldn’t even suspect like a professional doctor or lawyer. The regular purse snatcher or carjacker falls into this category as well. How sad it may sound, you really should trust no one.

In order to help you protect yourself against identity theft, we’ve dedicated a special part of our Buyers Guide to the subject: Protecting yourself against identity theft. It’s not a bad place at all to pick up some good ideas, or the odd protective piece of software.