IL HR0857

Designates December as Illinois Identity Theft Awareness Month in the state of Illinois

Encourages all citizens to be informed about identity theft and take action to protect themselves against it

Identifies that approximately 15 million U.S. residents have their identities stolen annually with costs around $50 billion, and the average individual loss is approximately $3,500

Notes that identity theft recovery requires approximately 25 hours of a person's time and disproportionately affects lower-income families already struggling financially

Outlines protection methods including using cross-cut shredders, creating secure passwords, monitoring credit reports, and removing names from pre-approved promotional lists