Protecting Yourself From ID Theft

May 17, 2002

AUSTIN, - A new breed of crooks, identity thieves, can prey on you when you write checks or use a credit card. ID theft is among the fastest growing crimes in America, and we are all at risk.

    Who are you? It's a question we answer everyday with ID cards, account numbers and other information.
    
    What would you do if a criminal had your information and began to commit crimes in your name, passing bad checks, making bogus charges or even buying autos and real estate without your knowledge?
    
    It's identity theft, the fastest growing crime of the information age.
    
    Mary Swanson says she tries to be a good citizen, always paying her bills on time, keeping her credit record clean. Until one day when she received a letter from a Houston grocery store about a bounced check. It was a store she had never been to.
    
    "After that day, the letters started pouring in from different merchants," ID theft victim Mary Swanson said.
    
    The bad checks were from a bank she didn't know, but they had her name, address and driver's license number printed on them. The letters kept coming.
    
    "Target, Toys R Us, Old Navy, Academy Sports and Outdoors, Mervyn's, Kmart. They just went shopping. They went shopping," Swanson said, "They wrote checks in Houston, San Antonio, New Braunfels, Selma, Texas. And they were at San Antonio the same day they were at Houston writing a check at Target."
    
    In all, dozens of checks, each for hundreds of dollars. Mary's identity had been stolen.
    
    "I see it every day. Every day we're getting cases of identity theft," Sgt. Ernest Pedraza with APD Financial Crimes said.
    
    Sergeant Pedraza investigates identity theft for APD's Financial Crimes unit.
    
    "Now, with the Internet, they're going worldwide, and we trace cases all the way to Russia," Pedraza said.
    
    The chance of catching the criminals is slim.
    
    Mary doesn't know how the crooks got her information.
    
    "You're suspicious of people because of what happened, and you don't know who did this to you," Swanson said.
    
    "They have to recover their reputation. They have to recover their credit, and it's very difficult because they have to prove that those charges are not theirs," Pedraza said.
    
    Prevention is key to fighting ID theft. Most cases begin with a stolen wallet, purse or checkbook.
    
    Never carry all of your credit cards or your social security card. Leave the checkbook at home unless you plan to use it.
    
    Keep personal information in a safe place, especially statements and bills.
    
    A determined thief is difficult to stop, but don't make it easy on them. We dug through a trash can, and in just a minute or two, found a bank statement with names, account numbers, balances, everything we need to steal this person's identity.
    
    Challenge anyone who asks for your social security number. Ask if some other ID can be used. Be cautious about giving your numbers out loud and never to someone who calls you.
    
    Check your credit history often. Your identity could be stolen, and you might not know it until it's too late.
    
    Mary was lucky. She found out quickly when her ID was stolen, but it took a year to resolve.
    
    "I feel I've cleared it up. But you still have in the back of your mind, 'Is there something out there?'" Swanson said.
    
    The person or persons that stole Mary Swanson's identity have never been found. Houston Police say her case is inactive now due to lack of evidence.
    
    The insult added to the injury of identity theft is the fact that it's up to the victim to clear their name. It is a process that can be expensive, time consuming and very frustrating.
    
    Mary Swanson hopes to set up a support group for people who have suffered through the trauma of identity theft. E-mail her at identitysupportgroup@despammed.com.
http://www.msnbc.com/local/kxan/m184146.asp