The emotional damage and isolation you feel can be compounded if you believe family members or friends don t understand what you are going through. The reality is that people who have not experienced identity theft may not recognize the ongoing nature of this crime. They may expect that after the initial crime, you should just go on with your life, or they may simply tire of hearing about your problem. Many victims find that after they explain how they feel and ask for ongoing support, their support team is more open to being there through the long haul. It s not surprising that something like identity theft may cause a certain amount of personality changes including the ways you relate to others.
Identity theft attacks our innocence and belief in the trustworthiness of others.
Some victims go through a period of time when they refuse to give anyone any information. We know of one victim whose employer stole her identity. The victim refused to include her Social Security number and driver s license number on job applications. Many victims never see the world through the same innocent eyes again. Identity theft is life altering.