Black Friday Brings Deals and Identity Theft Risks

Black Friday--the most anticipated shopping day of the year--hold more importance this year than it has in a long time, and maybe ever. Because of the difficulties in the economy, analysts are closely watching how people are spending and everyone seems to be holding their breath to see how sales will look the day after Thanksgiving.

It's certain that Black Friday will also bring some pretty amazing deals. Merchants are desperate for sales after the slowest October in decades. But there's more to be had on Black Friday than just deals. Identity thieves will be working in force on this busiest shopping day of the year.

During times of economic difficulty, identity thieves tend to be more active, and in fact, I've seen several studies lately that point to a surge in the number of identity thefts reported after the decline that we've seen the last couple years. Since so many people will be out shopping next week, identity thieves will be on their A-game trying to get a piece of the spending pie, too.

It's essential that keep yourself protected this holiday season. Identity theft will be rampant, and in this economy, no one can afford to have someone else take over their identity. Learn how to protect yourself in these About.com articles:

Recognizing Identity Theft Scams
Strategies for Preventing Identity Theft
Credit Card Protection Basics
Protecting Your Computer From Spyware.