1.   There is no way to gauge the true magnitude of identity fraud.

2.   Belgium has quietly become the global capital of identity fraud.

3.   A report last year by the General Accounting Office, the investigative arm of Congress, suggests a startling rise in identity fraud.

4.   After attacks on the Pentagon and World Trade Center, a half-dozen Middle Eastern men were arrested here and charged with various crimes involving identity fraud and false statements.

5.   All three are charged with identity fraud, misuse of visas and conspiracy to commit those violations.

6.   But identity fraud remains difficult to track, tough to quantify and challenging to prosecute.

7.   Efforts to reunite refugee families are getting even tougher scrutiny because of past cases of identity fraud.

8.   Identity fraud has long occurred through the stealing of mail, purses and wallets or copies of credit reports.

9.   Less typical are cases of outright identity fraud.

10.   Most identity fraud starts small, with a few forged checks or purchases on a stolen credit card.