If you are a regular reader of my blogs you know that I both expose various forms of theft as well as propose ways to protect yourself. There is little more terrifying than someone stealing your identity. If you live in the south – beware- identity thieves are much more prevalent.

Members of the military are often targets for identity theft because they conduct their financial business online while overseas. They also tend to be slower to notice unauthorized credit card charges or suspicious activity because of extended training or deployment. It is no surprise that areas where there is a heavy military presence - Texas, California, Georgia and Florida are among the top states for identity theft. As reported in www.investinganswers.com.

Another locale that is popular for identity thieves is Florida. It has the highest population of adults older than 65, a demographic that is easy prey for cyber criminals because the elderly are less familiar with Internet and mobile technology. Senior citizens who are unaware of their personal security fall victim to scammers who file for false tax refunds in their name or obtain new lines of credit.

More than 17,500 identity theft complaints were reported in 2011 by residents in the Miami-Fort Lauderdale-Pompano Beach metropolitan statistical area.

Despite technological advances to help keep your information secure, thieves still abound. The key is to stop thieves before they ever steal. 16 hour theft classes are a good place to start. The more we educate our youth on theft, the farther we go toward preventing future issues.