The Thief Is In The Mail

29 January 2004 The car doors slam. The wheels screech. The teenagers pilot the speeding car down the pavement into the darkness; a crash is heard. That's when the public service message appears at the bottom of the TV screen: Lock your car. Take your keys.It seems strange today to think that once upon a time, people needed to be told that leaving their keys in an unlocked car might be a bad idea. At the time, though, the wake-up call was very much in order. The world was changing fast. So were the risks of living in it.Flash forward 40 years to Memphis, Tennessee, in the early years of the 21st century. A 49-year-old woman stares at the surveillance monitor, watching in disbelief as a surreal scene unfolds on her front porch. A man bundled up in a heavy jacket and hat rings the bell, then knocks loudly on the door. Getting no answer, he glances at the silent intercom, calmly removes the outgoing mail from her mailbox, and walks away.It's 10:00 a.m., and Bethany Overton's identity has just been stolen. Also missing is the updated version of that government warning:Lock your mailbox. Take your keys.Identity theft: Not just an online crime Identity theft is America's fastest-growing crime. Last year alone, more than 9.9 million Americans were victims of identity theft