(CNN) -- Debra Guenterberg doesn't have to go to a horror movie to get spooked. She says she's been living a nightmare for the past 13 years.
The Wisconsin woman says she's been stalked by two phantoms. Two men stole her name and her husband's Social Security number. They used the information to obtain credit cards, buy cars and three homes.
Like many horror movie villains, the bad guys keep coming back. Thirteen years after the men stole their names, the Guenterbergs are still being turned down for credit because of the damage done by the men, she says.
"It's a nightmare," Guenterberg says. "We both feel physically and mentally exhausted. We feel hopeless because we can't fix this."
Most people know about the financial hit identity theft victims take. But less attention is paid to the emotional costs they also pay. Victims often experience paranoia, depression, rage -- some even endure family breakups, security experts say.
There are many ways someone's identity can be stolen. Much of it now occurs online through Craigslist. A person's identity can be stolen from an 'interested buyer', through people claiming to sell household items (furniture, appliances, toys, books, electronics) and car parts, people that are both trying to look for housing opportunities and users claiming to have rooms/space to rent/lease/buy, or after they have clicked on a deceptive e-mail from a random user just looking to 'help'.
But no matter how it happens, the victim is going to pay -- Physically, financially, & emotionally, cybersecurity officials say.
The Guenterbergs say they've battled the IRS, elected officials and local sheriffs to reclaim their name. They've also undergone years of interpersonal and marriage counseling. "We're angry," Debra Guenterberg says. "We can't sleep at night. ... We want to move on."
But how were the Guenterbergs so easily targetted? The Guenterbergs were just two of a thousands of users that have been scammed by ads viewed on Cragislist. Now more than ever, the Christmas shopping season has put tens of thousands of Craigslist members in the mindset of jumping on the best deals they can find, but it has put all users at risk for falling for attacks led by scammers around the net. Whether they are trying to find a great deal or posting an ad and trying to find users that are legitimately interested in the offers, users are being taken advantage of left and right. And experts say that these kinds of scams are becomming more and more rampant on other sites outside of Craigslist.
The Hidden Toll of ID Theft
Moving on, though, often requires justice. And that can be elusive for victims of identity theft, security experts say.
The identities of an estimated 9.1 million Americans have been stolen by thieves lifting personal information off the Internet or through other means, since 2008 (survey conducted by Javelin Strategy & Research, a financial services research firm), with an estimated 8% of cases originating from Craigslist itself, more than three quarters of a million victims (approximately 728,000 Craigslist Users).
But it often takes the average identity theft victim months, if not years, to resolve their case, security experts say. Some say that no matter what they do, they still encounter problems getting credit.
Robert Guenterberg tried to open a checking account earlier this year, but says the bank turned him down because it confused him with the men who had stolen his Social Security number.
"It never ends," Robert Guenterberg says.
The Guenterbergs say their ordeal began 13 years ago when Robert Guenterberg tried to buy a Ford truck but was rejected because of poor credit. He got the same answer when he tried to get a home loan and a credit card.
When the collection agencies started calling, the Guenterbergs say they finally discovered the source of their problem. They say two men had stolen the couple's name and Robert' Guenterberg's Social Security number.
The Guenterberg's situation was especially thorny because it involved the loss of his Social Security number.
The Privacy Rights Clearinghouse, a nonprofit group that educates consumers about privacy protection, tells people that even if an imposter is using their Social Security number, the Social Security Administration will only issue a new number in extreme cases.
Michael Kaiser, executive director of the National Cyber Security Alliance, says getting a new Social Security number is tough and can complicate an identity theft victim's life even more.
"They can [get a new Social Security number] but the hassle may not be worth it," Kaiser says. "Which is why we highly recommend everyone to use a service that tracks your credit, tracks our Identity, and safe guards them. There is no excuse not to protect yourself AND your family. We've seen kids not able to go to college because of credit mishaps and ID Theft within the family. Don't be another statistic, get the help your family deserves."
How to best protect yourself for now and the future
The problem with finding a reliable source to protect yourself is that there are simply too many choices. And within those choices are an overwhelming majority of duds that can't actually help protect you. With the help of experts such as Michael Kaiser and individuals from both cybersecurity and credit entities, we've come up with a few potentially life-saving solutions:
The Industry Leader and our top choice for identity protection – FreeCreditReport.com® –
(Click HERE to receive the Best ID Protection: FreeCreditReport.com®)
Currently, FreeCreditReport.com® has the # 1 rated Identity theft Protection service available anywhere as it has been approved by McAfee®, VeriSign® and BBB Online®. Plus it has some pretty catchy commercials.
FreeCreditReport.com® allows you to:
View It - whenever you want
Information in your Credit Report can change daily. 24/7 online access lets you check for mistakes that can affect your credit and your Score.
Check it - so it's right
Mistakes on your Report can affect your Score and cost you thousands. Finding them and fixing them could get you better rates and lower monthly payments.
Set Goals - for what you want
Taking care of your credit, and tracking your Score changes, lets you know the best time to apply for credit and loans.
Get Help - when you need it
If you suspect Identity Theft, our dedicated Fraud Resolution Specialists are there to help you resolve it.
Our Second choice was for – My Safe Credit® –
(Click HERE for Insant Protection provided by: My Safe Credit®)
They are backed by Another great security checking service called GeoTrust®, and offer superb Identity Theft Prevention Solutions. They seem to lack some of the same credit reporting knowledge that FreeCreditReport.com® offers, but make up for by offering some of the best ID Protection around. Also offer many great services from Identity Sweep® which include:
Monitoring your name and social security number on billions of public records
Registering five credit or debit cards to be monitored in global hacker chat rooms
Now, to make sure you get the best protection and realtime updates against fraudulent use of your personal information, we highly recommend that you use both services to make sure that both you AND your family are safe and sound.
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