Identity thieves target seniors heavily, often because they may have substantial savings, little debt, or real estate that is no longer subject to a mortgage. Many of the scams and frauds listed above are ploys for securing creditMoney loaned or the ability of an individual or company to borrow money. and checking account numbers and stealing from those accounts. In other transactions, identity thieves take over a target’s complete identity. Elderly people have learned of attempts to sell their homes, farms and automobiles out from under them. Some have found that mortgages have been placed on their homes and money disbursed to scammers who used their names. Identity theft is the fastest growing scam in the US and has been the leading consumer complaint category of the Federal Trade Commission for the past several years. Always check all bills and account statements carefully for unusual charges and activities. Contact the bank or creditor immediately if you notice something suspicious. Check your credit report annually. Contact the North Carolina Attorney Generals Office (tel. 919-716-6000 or toll-free in NC: 1-877-566-7226) or the Federal Trade Commission (1-877-ID THEFTCrime in which an imposter obtains key pieces of personal information, such as Social Security or driver's license numbers, in order to impersonate someone else.) for an Identity Theft Victim Kit if you find you have been victimized by this crime. File a police report with your local law enforcement agency, as this will help when you contact the credit reporting services and try to clean up your credit file.