Identity theft laws have been put in place to protect individuals when their identity has been stolen. However, identity theft laws on their own aren't enough, consumers have to take responsibility to protect their identity and personal information. Sometimes, even with simple cases, it can take months or years to get your credit report corrected and the issues with your name being used fraudulently completely cleared off your record. In addition many people don't even realize that their identity has been compromised until they try to buy a car or a home and find out they are denied a loan. It is estimated by most professionals working to restore victims of identity theft that it takes, on average, 40 hours of the individual's time to correct the problem, plus it will affect your credit score and borrowing ability until the situation is resolved. In a great many of the identity theft cases the individuals are never caught because the system they use to sell your identity on the black market is very complex. Most people aren't even aware of exactly where their identity was stolen, leading police and the Federal Trade Commission very few places to investigate.