Despite all of the advice and safeguards that have been adopted by concerned citizens, identity theft seems to be on the rise. Identity theft statistics are gathered on a yearly basis, and provide the information needed to make this statement. In 2008, almost 10 million people were in some way affected by identity theft. An interesting identity theft statistic is that most thieves do not wait very long to act once they have someone’s personal information. During the first week your information is in the thief’s hands, 71% of identity fraud takes place. Many people will not participate in online shopping for fear of having their identity stolen. Identity theft statistics show that only 11% of all the online methods know for stealing information actually resulted in identity theft. It is much more common for these thieves to get information from stolen wallets and personal documents, including credit card slips. This method worked for 43% of all the identity thefts that took place in 2008. Identity theft can happen when you least expect it. Your personal information is precious, so guard it wisely.