IL HR0861

Designates December 2010 as Identity Theft Awareness Month in Illinois to raise awareness of identity theft and its effects on state citizens and families

Identifies that approximately 15 million U.S. residents have their identities stolen annually with associated costs of around $50 billion

Notes the average individual loss from identity theft is approximately $3,500 and victims spend an average of 25 hours recovering from the consequences

Recognizes financial identity theft as the most common form, leading to damaged credit, card fraud, account fraud, investment fraud, loan fraud, and tax fraud

Acknowledges that recovering losses is particularly difficult for low-income families and that many people lack awareness of identity theft protection measures