8 signs you may know an identity thief

"Many people worry about hackers stealing their passwords or Dumpster divers grabbing their financial documents. But a big chunk of identity theft is committed by the victim's nearest and dearest -- or at least someone the victim knows.

Exactly how many identity thieves aren't strangers is a bit of a mystery. Nearly half of all victims have no idea how their information was stolen, and only about one in four know who did the stealing, according to a new survey by Javelin Research.

Of those who do know, however, half pointed to friends, relatives, neighbors or in-home employees.

Identity thieves

'They know your patterns, they have access to your financial information, they know those unique identifiers like your mother's maiden name,' said Ken Hunter, head of the Council of Better Business Bureaus and former chief postal inspector, head of the fraud investigative arm of the U.S. Postal Service. 'It's just so easy.'

Identity theft is so rampant today that you need to take steps to secure your financial information, regardless of whom a potential thief might be (see '10 ways to stop identity theft cold.') But you might want to be especially vigilant about certain people in your life if you notice any of the following warning signs:"

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