Study: Identity theft keeps climbing

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The rate of identity theft-related fraud in the US has risen sharply since 2003, a report from research firm Gartner suggests. And the story is somewhat similar in Australia.
Gartner's study, released Tuesday in the US, shows that from mid-2005 until mid-2006, about 15 million Americans were victims of fraud that stemmed from identity theft, an increase of more than 50 percent from the estimated 9.9 million in 2003.
According to the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission, identity theft costs billions of dollars.
"On identity theft alone, losses to the Australian community are estimated to be in excess of $1 billion annually." ZdNet Downunder has more.