Reggie Wayne, a receiver for the Indianapolis Colts, has been a victim of credit card fraud.. The Indianapolis Star reported that $60,000 of cash and $35,000 of merchandise had been fraud.ulently purchased via the player's debit or credit card numbers.

Wayne filed a report in April alleging that an ex-girlfriend may have used his personal information to make illegal purchases. He was alerted to the questionable transactions by a department store and a check from Huntington Bank that showed 333 transactions dating back to September of 2009.

"Reggie knew what was going on. I sent Reggie plenty of thank you messages," Natasha McKenzie, 26, the woman alleged to have made the purchases, told the press. "There was nothing fraud. about it. Reggie gave me all of his credit card information." She went on to state that she has records of her conversations with the football player.

According to Javelin Strategy and Research, the instances of identity fraud. in the U.S. increased 22 percent in 2008, affecting a total of 9.9 million adults.

Consumers concerned about identity fraud. should consider using secure shopping services, particularly when making purchases on the internet. Additionally, breaking dependence on credit cards will reduce one's vulnerablility to identity theft.