It is true a majority of identity theft victims know of or have a connection to their imposter, but recently there's another link that is getting a lot of attention. Meth.

Meth is everywhere. It's in every area of town including the suburbs and could be in your neighborhood. Meth is not a drug that discriminates and it is not contained in the "bad area" of town.

An increasing number of law enforcement agencies are linking meth addicts with identity theft crimes. They are saying in some instances 80-90% of identity theft crimes have a meth connection.

Identity theft is the crime of choice for the meth users. Addicts are unable to hold down a steady job, but can spend days awake meticulously putting together shredded material, stealing mail or spend hours on the internet. Many times they are able to trade stolen information for drugs.

FACT: The street value of your personal information is around $20-$50.

Meth is not a new problem for Nebraska. It touches every county and hurts our state economy. Governor Heineman has said that 70% of all crime in Nebraska is meth related.

Helpful Resources:

• Partners for Meth Prevention
• RID (Recognizing Impairing Drugs) Training 402-871-3207

Articles:

• Do Meth Addicts Want Your Identity? ABC News
• Meth Users, Attuned to Detail, Add Another Habit: ID Theft New York Times
• Meth Connection to Identity Theft MSNBC