Turns out that Ben "Double B" Bernanke, the chairman of the Federal Reserve, got his ID jacked by a purse thief last August. Unfortunately for man-purse advocates everywhere, the purse wasn't his. It was his wife Anna's. Apparently, Anna doesn't follow the government's own tips for protecting against ID theft, namely: "don't carry your Social Security card in your wallet." In her defense, it does say wallet, not purse.

Along with the Social Security card, the purse-snatcher got Anna's checkbook, credit card and ID cards--more than enough info to start raiding the Bernanke's shared personal account. Big Ben has quite a bit of pull with the government, so the theft of the Bernanke's ID shifted an ongoing ID theft investigation into a higher gear, resulting in the takedown of an ID theft ring that had stolen more than $2 million.

It's not likely that you have the same pull as Bernanke-san, so here are some resources to help you keep from getting your ID stolen in the first place:

• ftc.gov: The Federal Trade Comission's official ID theft resource.
• usdoj.gov: The U.S. Dept. of Justice's website features anti-ID theft poetry by Billy Shakespeare.
• msnbc.msn.com: When government websites just aren't good enough for you, check out these six tips.

And last but not least, check out these articles from good old brass|MAGAZINE. Keep it real.

--Jens (unless someone else stole my name)

(Did you get the picture yet? "I" "D" theft.)