Ten Million Americans yearly become the victims of identity theft. The thieves cause a great deal of damage to their victims. If this happened to you, the damage could include:

• Spending sprees with your credit card
• Opening new credit card accounts in your name and with your social security number
• A fictitious drivers license with their picture and your name and date of birth
• Filing fraudulent tax returns
• Applying for jobs using your social security number
• Renting homes in your name
• Paying their cellular telephone bills , utilities, and cable service at your expense
• Obtaining medical services
• And if arrested - providing your identity for future warrants that may be issued.

The average time it takes to repair the damage done by identity thieves is about thirty hours. This would include contacting banking institutions and credit card companies, providing affidavits to law enforcement, and reapplying for new documents.

How would you answer the following questions?

• Do you shred or destroy every bill, credit card statement and bank statement being discarded after it comes into your home?
• Have you ever seen a copy of your Credit Report?
• Do you know what a Fraud Alert is?

If you answered "yes" to all three of these questions, you know some of the important steps to take to guard against identity theft.

How do thieves steal your identity?

Often they call an unsuspecting victim and request personal information over the telephone. They usually identify themselves as a representative of a company that you do business with, a bank employee, an officer from a fraud unit of a specific company, or the benefactor of a gift you have just won. Never provide any information over the telephone, on the internet, in writing, or in person unless you are absolutely sure of the legitimacy of the person asking for such information.

• All of your personal identification information and banking statements should be maintained in a safe location in your residence to prevent loss if someone would break into your home.
  
  
• Purchase a shredder and be certain to shred information that you would not want in the hands of anyone outside of your family.
  
  
• Often, thieves will steal your garbage that is left at the curb. If you have not adequately destroyed personal information, they are now on their way to stealing your identity.
  
  
• Do not put letters in your mailbox, especially credit card payments, that contain personal information that could be stolen by a thief. These types of letters should be hand-carried to the post office or given directly to your mail carrier.
  
  
• Do not keep personal information such as your Social Security card in your wallet. Do not write your social security number on a check. And, if someone asks you for your Social Security number, ask them the purpose. If you are not comfortable with their explanation, do not give it out.
  
  
• Ask your major credit card companies if they provide a "Fraud Alert." If so, they will contact you via telephone whenever a significant purchase is being made with that specific card to ensure that you are making the purchase.
  
  
• Be aware that very skilled computer experts may be able to "hack" into your computer. Be cautious about what you are sending over the computer.
  
  
• With the advent of cell telephones with camera capabilities, be cautious about someone behind you at ATM machines and outside banking facilities.
  
  
• If you are selling or giving away your computer, be sure to destroy the hard drive. Merely erasing will not eliminate confidential information that may have been stored.
  
  
• Do not keep car insurance policies in your car's glove box. Keep your vehicle registration card in the trunk of your car.
  
  
• Write to Direct Marketing Association @ Mail Preference Service, P.O. Box 643, Carmel, NY 10512, to remove your name from Direct Mailing lists.
  
  
• Everyone has free access to a credit report once per year, from three separate Nationwide Consumer Reporting Companies. They can be reached at -

  Equifax - 800 525-6285
  Experian - 800 397-3742
  Transunion - 800 680-7289

• If your credit has been denied for no apparent reason, this could suggest that someone has been using your identity. If your bills are not arriving as expected or if you receive calls or letters about purchases that you did not make, you may already be a victim.

What should you do if you suspect that you have become a victim of Identity Theft?

1. Time is critical. Close out any account that you suspect has been tampered with.
2. Call the Security Fraud Departments for each company where you suspect suspicious activity.
3. Make a record of all conversations to include: name, agency, phone number, date, time, and person to whom you talked.
4. Make a subsequent call to ensure that the account has been closed.
5. Make copies of all correspondence and e-mails. Never send originals, and always send Return Receipt Requested.
6. Use an ID Theft Affidavit to support your written statement. To obtain this affidavit - www.ftc.gov/idtheft.

The following web sites may also be helpful:

• The Office for Victims of Crime at the U.S. Department of Justice -
• The U.S. Department of Justice
• The National Criminal Justice Referral Service
• The Identity Theft Resource Center
• The National Crime Prevention Council - click on "What we Offer"- go to "What your can do"- click on "Protect yourself against identity theft."

(much of the information contained was taken by permission from the National Crime Prevention Council)