• New consumer impact report shows more ID theft victims reporting thoughts of suicide.
• More support and VAS Communityassistance is needed to help victims, who feel dismissed or ignored, expert says.
• Protect yourself and your personal information.

I have written a lot over the years about how to protect your identity to avoid becoming a victim of identity theft. But the fact of the matter is we can do everything to protect our identities and still become victims. The toll it takes on a person’s life − financially and emotionally − is huge.

A new consumer impact report from a national nonprofit that specializes in helping identity theft victims has found a startling trend: An increasing number of ID theft victims are reporting thoughts of suicide resulting from the crime.