A new report released by Javelin Strategy and Research indicates that, though there has been a spike in the number of U.S. consumers who report having their identity stolen, fewer people are investing in Identity Fraud Protection Services.

The report shows that there was a 42 percent decline in the Direct-to-Consumer U.S. Identity Protection Market in 2009, despite the 12.4 percent spike of adults who claimed they were victims of fraud. that same year. The decline may be in part due to the economic recession.

"While many Americans don't view identity fraud. protection services as a 'must have' during the recession, ignoring this growing threat can be a costly mistake," said Robert Vamosi, an analyst at the research company. "Identity thieves are finding new and creative ways to steal personal and financial information, such as through peer-to-peer file sharing sites, mobile devices... or even your children's data"

The study also found that shoppers who use credit monitoring services were less likely to become a victim of fraud..

The Federal Trade Commission estimates that 9 million Americans have their identities stolen every year. Those who want to prevent falling victim to online thieves should consider using a secure payment service when shopping online.