HR0861 96TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HR0861 LRB096 16343 GRL 31607 r

HOUSE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, Approximately 15 million residents in the United States have their identities stolen each year; the costs associated with these thefts are approximately $50 billion; and

WHEREAS, The average individual loss from an identity theft case is around $3,500; the average amount of time a person spends recovering from the consequences of identity theft is approximately 25 hours; and

WHEREAS, Among the many different types of identity theft, the most common form is financial identity theft, which can lead to serious consequences, including damaged credit, credit and debit card fraud, checking and savings account fraud, investment account fraud, mortgage and other loan fraud, and tax fraud; and

WHEREAS, Recovering losses from identity theft is very difficult, particularly for low-income families that are already struggling with their finances; and

WHEREAS, Many people are unaware of the need to protect themselves from identity thieves; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE NINETY-SIXTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we designate the month of December 2010 as Identity Theft Awareness Month in the State of Illinois in order to raise awareness of identity theft and its effects on Illinois citizens and their families.