Five (Terrifying) Truths You Didn’t Know About Identity Theft

And why victims so often feel completely abandoned

Identity Theft is one of the most devastating and under-prosecuted crimes in the United States. Victims of Identity Theft have their personal and financial worlds turned upside down by criminals that are rarely prosecuted or prevented from committing their crimes.

Identity theft is not a minor inconvenience. It’s a billion-dollar criminal industry that destroys lives, drains bank accounts, ruins credit, and leaves victims fighting to prove they’re not the ones committing the crimes. Most people don’t understand just how deep this problem runs… until it happens to them.

If you are a victim of Identity Theft, InfoPro Investigations can help you gather evidence and even locate the identity thief. We can also help you contact the proper law enforcement authorities and testify as expert witnesses on your behalf in court.

Here are five unsettling truths about identity theft — and why professional investigators are often the only ones who can actually help.

1. Your Entire Identity Is for Sale on the Dark Web - and It’s Shockingly Cheap

Most people imagine identity theft as a single criminal targeting a specific victim. In reality, your entire life, your Social Security number, address history, bank credentials, medical data, and even your fingerprints, can end up packaged and sold on the Dark Web for just a few dollars. Brokers move millions of stolen identities every week, and once your information is out there, anyone can buy it and use it over and over again. Victims are often devastated to learn their identity has been sold to multiple criminals in multiple countries, sometimes before they even realize something is wrong.

2. Identity Theft Almost Always Starts With Credit… but Rarely Ends There

Credit fraud is usually the first red flag, but it’s rarely the full story. Stolen identities are used to open new credit lines, apply for loans, rent apartments, secure utilities, purchase phones, commit employment fraud, and in some cases, carry out more serious crimes under the victim’s name. Many people don’t find out until debt collectors call, their tax returns are rejected, or law enforcement shows up with questions about activity they had nothing to do with. By the time victims catch on, the damage is already spreading in multiple directions.

3. Victims Are Treated as “Guilty Until Proven Innocent”

The cruel reality is that identity theft victims spend months trying to convince creditors, agencies, and sometimes police that a crime actually occurred. Banks assume you’re lying, lenders assume you’re irresponsible, and law enforcement often assumes it’s a civil issue. The emotional toll is severe. Victims are often left feeling powerless, unheard, and trapped in a system that treats them like suspects instead of victims. Clearing your name becomes a full-time job, and every delay gives the thief more time to keep exploiting your information.

4. Most Identity Thieves Are Never Prosecuted

Despite being one of the most damaging financial crimes in America, identity theft remains shockingly under-investigated. Police departments are overwhelmed, resources are limited, and jurisdictional issues make cross-state or international cases nearly impossible to pursue. Criminals know this, which is why they operate boldly and repeatedly, often targeting the same victims again and again. Many people go years without any resolution, even when they know exactly who stole their identity.

5. Once Someone Steals Your Identity, It Can Be Used to Commit Crimes You Didn’t Even Know Existed

Beyond financial damage, stolen identities are used for employment fraud, tax fraud, benefits fraud, synthetic identities, cryptocurrency scams, online impersonation, and even blackmail. In some cases, victims discover the thief has been using their name for housing, utilities, or to avoid arrest. The ripple effect is enormous: ruined credit, denied loans, frozen accounts, and long-term financial instability. Identity theft doesn’t stop on its own. It grows until someone actively investigates and shuts it down.

How InfoPro Investigations Helps

While law enforcement is overwhelmed and constrained by bureaucracy, private investigators aren’t limited by those same barriers. InfoPro Investigations can help victims gather evidence, trace where their identity is being used, identify or locate the thief, and prepare documentation that strengthens your case with creditors and police. We can also help you report the crime properly, navigate the recovery process, and even testify as expert witnesses on your behalf. Identity theft may feel like your life is spiraling out of your control, but you don’t have to fight it alone.

See our Digital & Online Investigations Page

Further Reading:
An Apple Valley man stole my identity, and nobody will stop him from exploiting it

Here’s what your stolen identity goes for on the internet’s black market