Identity thieves are so ruthless they're even targeting foster children. Because personal information is often shared by a number of agencies and households in the foster system, it can easily get in the hands of the wrong people.

Even those who are supposed to be caring for these children can take advantage, said Adam Levin, chairman of Identity Theft 911. "In many cases, if the guardian or foster parent is the culprit, many foster children are afraid to report for fear of being moved around again or are emotionally conflicted," he said.

Levin's organization was recently contacted by a 21-year-old woman who had grown up in foster care and was denied her first credit card. Why? Her prior guardian had opened a card in her name years earlier and defaulted -- destroying her credit.