Identity Theft: Sometimes it's the one you least suspect

Even though the internet and smartphones give hackers the ability to steal personal information from across the country and around the world, sometimes the person scamming you is in your own household. Illinois is no stranger to fraud. According to the Federal Trade Commission, Illinois had more than 48,000 fraud and identity theft-related complaints during 2010. 25 percent of those cases consisted of bank and credit card fraud. In Bolingbrook, Illinois, police arrested a mother who stole her daughter's credit card, Bolingbrook Patch reports. According to the police report, Deborah Gibson found her daughter's credit card in the house, activated it and racked up charges of more than $8,000. While a case such as this may be surprising, Javelin Strategy & Research states that family and friend related fraud complaints have risen 7 percent over the past year. Of all new account fraud complaints during 2010, 30 percent were a result of friendly fraud.