A little-known provision of the new bill states that even victims of theft of identity are affected by the meaning of the new debt relief law. If your credit card or other identification is stolen, and someone uses them to pose as you while running up thousands of dollars worth of bills that you do not know about, you will be held liable and you will have to pay back the debt. Identity theft has been a mounting problem during the last ten years, but this revision to Federal law should cause any person to take concern.

A determined identity thief can possibly get away with anything and everything, but a number of simple procedures might help avoid a theft of identity catastrophe:

• Carry as few credit cards as necessary. If you are leaving the house and you only expect to use one credit card, then only take one with you. Hauling fifteen credit cards that you don't need increases your risk should your purse or wallet be misplaced or stolen.
• Shred all of your documents often. Shred any monetary paperwork before discarding them. Most any office supply store will stock an economical paper shredder, and they are worth the money. Many criminals make a habit of searching through dumpsters and trash, looking for documents that will help them obtain an identity.
• Never provide private identity secrets, such as your date of birth, driver's license number or Social Security number over the telephone to a person who is unknown to you.
• Analyze your credit report at least once per year and look out for unusual or suspicious activity.

All Americans should be careful, and take precautions to protect their personal information These couple of procedures may protect you from tens of thousands of dollars in potential financial loss by means of identity theft. Be aware that the recently passed bankruptcy law will require you to pay all financial obligations incurred through identity theft.