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The announcement by New York law enforcement officials that 22 people had been charged in an identity theft ring should serve as a reminder to people to regularly check their credit reports for any discrepancies.

The report from Dow Jones Newswires quoted U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara as announcing that two of those facing charges were employees of the New York State Department of Motor Vehicles while others charged were said to be customers of the crime ring.

The report noted that people’s personal data was being used by convicted felons, who would pay as much as $10,000 for a package of fake identity documents taken from other citizens, with about $1 million having been generated in the scheme.

Overall, such crimes can have a variety of impacts on those who have their identities stolen. For example, a victim’s tax status and future Social Security benefits can be seriously affected when somebody steals their identity to get a job they would not otherwise be eligible for. If the criminal also seeks medical services, it can result in inaccuracies ending up on the victim’s record.

With these things in mind, there are many reasons to take the time to check one’s credit report and to respond quickly to any suspicions that identity thieves may have accessed one’s personal data.