Learn to protect yourself

When senior Margaret Szczerba received a phone call from her credit card company asking if she had charged a $500 hotel room in Paris to her credit card, she knew something unusual had happened. Although she did not know how it happened or who did it, Szczerba had become a victim of identity theft. \nThe fastest growing crime in the United States, identity theft occurs when sensitive personal information is stolen from an unknowing person and used to commit fraud or theft. More than 900,000 people will become victims of identity theft next year, according to the IU Credit Union's Web site.\n"I never knew who did it or how it happened, but I do a lot of online shopping, so I always kind of thought that might be how (the identity thief) got my information," Szczerba said. \nFortunately, Szczerba's credit card company covered the theft, but Szczerba felt the aftermath of the crime for a year. \n"I wasn't allowed to receive mailings from any credit card companies for an entire year," she said. \nLike Szczerba, many people have been affected by identity theft because of an increase in the number of electronic channel transactions in banking and shopping. Behaviors such as paying bills or ordering a pair of shoes online can make consumers vulnerable to identity theft and lead to months or even years of financial trouble. \nIdentity thieves steal account and credit card numbers, social security numbers, names, addresses, phone numbers and any other sensitive information that could be used to commit theft . \nBob Newcomb, president and CEO of the IU Credit Union, said people put themselves at risk for identity theft by "not being observant of basic defenses." \n"If you're a credit card user, try not to get separated from that piece of plastic longer than you have to," Newcomb said. \nHe advised safeguarding or destroying any sensitive materials and getting virus protection and anti-spyware protection on computers. When dealing with third-party vendors, he said to be careful to screen them. \n"Just use good common-sense practices," Newcomb said. "Another big part of protecting yourself is educating yourself."\nIdentity theft can occur through a number of channels, including the mail, paperwork and credit cards. Steps can be taken to guard sensitive personal information. \nWhen dealing with mail, the IU Credit Union's Web site suggests placing outgoing mail in post office collection boxes rather than personal mailboxes, removing mail from mailboxes promptly, having mail held if the person will be away from the home and being conscious of when financial statements typically arrive. \nPeople are also encouraged to shred sensitive paperwork, never leave receipts lying around, keep purses and wallets in secure places, keep social security numbers in a safe place and only reveal them when absolutely necessary. \nWith the prevalence of credit and debit cards use, the ability for identity theft to occur through card transactions increases as well. The credit union's Web site recommends those using credit or debit cards sign the cards right away, save all receipts and match them to monthly bills, immediately report lost or stolen cards and be aware of solicitations disguised as promotions. \nBecause there are so many ways for identity theft to occur, people might still find themselves victims of the crime despite their efforts to protect themselves. \n"No one is immune," Newcomb said. \nPeople who suspect they might be victims of identity theft are encouraged by the credit union's Web site to look into their financial history to see if inquiries exist that the person did not initiate or see if there are unexplained debts on existing accounts. From there, people are encouraged to place a fraud alert on their credit reports, notify their banks, close any accounts that have been tampered with and file a report both with the police and the Federal Trade Commission.\nAlthough identity theft is increasingly affecting people of all ages, Newcomb acknowledged that college students in particular are often better at keeping themselves protected.\n"In some respects, college students are a little more guarded and aware and that may safeguard them to some of these types of scams," Newcomb said.