Given the choice of someone stealing my pen that I left on a chair in the doctor's office or him punching me in the mouth, I'll take the punch.

"That's stupid," you might say.Perhaps you are right, but to me, stealing is one of the most cowardly acts that one person can do to another. At least with the punch, someone would have the courage to commit the offense right in front of me.I actually have experiences as both perpetrator and victim of the crime of theft.When I was a kid, my friend coaxed me into helping him steal two ice cream pops from a neighborhood store. I was the front guy for the operation. I distracted the store manager by getting him to think I might put something in my pocket. When I caught up with my friend at the playground, he was already halfway through his pop. As I bit down on mine, I got this nauseated feeling in my stomach.I threw the rest of the ice cream on the ground.I had owned a vacation house in a private community off Route 903. I pulled my car down the driveway one day and saw that the front door was ajar. I called the state police. I was robbed of a television, a VCR player, electric fishing motor and other assorted fishing equipment.The police officer told me I was "lucky," The intruder did not vandalize the house except for the front door."When he left, the guy even closed the door most of the way so no animals could get in," said the man in blue.The officer said it was unlikely that the guy would ever be captured. I was left with the uneasy feeling that if he was caught, I should thank him for not damaging my house after he stole my stuff.I have also been the victim of identity theft. While coaching a local Little League game in Jim Thorpe, someone in Fort Wayne, Indiana, used my credit card numbers to buy over $7,000 worth of computers, televisions and patio furniture from three stores. After contacting the fraud department of the credit card company, I was told the chances of capturing this thief were slim to none.Then I received a letter threatening to send a collection agency after me unless I paid the debt due. Not until I had a lawyer send the company a return letter proving I was coaching in Jim Thorpe that day did they withdraw their claim against me.The credit company then wrote me again, informing me that I would remain a "valued customer."I'm certainly no exception. In 2014, according to Javelin Study and Research, identity theft and scamming victimized 12.7 million American consumers of 16 billion of their dollars.Last week, I received a phone call from a foreign country informing me that the Internal Revenue Service was filing a lawsuit against me unless I paid a fee to prevent their proceeding with the action. When I threatened to report the scam, he cursed me out and slammed down the phone.I called the scam hotline for the IRS. After the beep, the recorded message said, "the voice box was full."The beat goes on. I received a credit card bill with a late payment penalty fee of $25. After I proved that the check was sent out in plenty of time before the due date, they removed the charge.Think about how many $25 late fees that credit companies collect unfairly from unknowing consumers. The payment comes late because of slow mail. The company knows the check and postage dates prove the bill was mailed well before the due date. They "steal" the late fees anyway.When I watched a commercial about identity theft on a TV set that cost me hundreds of dollars, I envisioned that thief in Indiana eating popcorn while he sat in front of a larger-screen TV that he got for free, along with his computer and outdoor furniture.The head of the fraud department said that someone will pay for all that merchandise he stole.Through higher interest rates and increased retail prices, that "someone" is you and me.Rich Strack can be reached at

katehep11@gmail.com.