Joseph Slater, a professor of law at the University of Toledo, had his identity stolen in 2004. The criminal who stole the information managed to charge $38,000 in 72 hours, the Independent Collegian reports.

"I would get things in the mail from Circuit City saying, 'Thank you for opening up an account with us. You have reached your $600 limit. Please pay us," Slater told the news source.

This type of identity theft is nothing new to the campus. According to the head teller at the credit union at the university, there have been 200 reports of identity theft over the last year. That's just a drop in the ocean of the total amount of identities stolen in the United States each year, which is 9 million, according to the Federal Trade Commission, as the news reports.

There are many ways to have your identity stolen. Aside from leaving your credit card in a public place, thieves may use technology to hack into a restaurant or store's system and steal your personal information.

Those who wish to diminish the possibility of becoming a victim of identity fraud. should try to limit their use of credit cards. Shopping online through a secure system is a safe way to protect your personal information.