Your first stop (after Lodrick's List) for general information about identity theft is—surprise!—the Federal Trade Commission's own Identity Theft education website: FTC Website: Fighting Back Against Identity Theft

Your tax dollars are hard at work educating the public (including you) on not only how to avoid becoming a victim of identity theft, but also to help you build a defensive wall of education around you and your family.

Best of all, all information and resrources on the site are free and everything on it can be be freely shared, copied, emailed downloaded and reused as you see fit.

Here's a snapshot of some of the top places to hit on the FTC site:

• If you've already become a victim of an identity thief, or believe that your personal information has been compromised, but not yet misused, there are step-by-step Q&A pages of what to do immediately, including how to file a complaint with the FTC.
   
• The website has resources for consumers and business, as well as law enforcement and the military.
   
• The consumer section of the site if focused around the FTC's program called AvoID Theft: Deter, Detect, Defend, designed to empower you to protect yourself and to minimize any damage caused if you have become a victim.
   
• There is a wealth of free educational materials, much of it downloadable, including a how-to guide, tri-fold brochure, presentation slides, videos, posters—and much more. Once you become educated, pass it along!