Rockford Ranks Second in the State for Identity Theft

Rockford, IL - These days people walk the streets going about their every day lives not knowing they might be the victims of identity theft. "It`s very hard sometimes to track down exactly what occurred because people don`t know what happened sometimes for months on end because they didn`t realize something happened to their identifying information," says Sgt. Andre Brass of the Rockford Police Department. Brass says victims only realize what happened after they get a letter saying theyre behind on payments. True identity theft is when someone steals information and then begins opening credit card accounts. That is rare in Rockford. "What we see mostly is identity theft where someone`s social security information is used to open up some kind of utility account somewhere like ComEd, Nicor, or AT&T, something like that. That`s what I see a lot of," says Brass. He says those are cases when the victim actually knows who is using his or her information, whether it be a relative or co-worker. Brass says those cases are difficult to track because the process to set up a utility account is mostly automated. "The first thing is deter it in the first place," says Brass. He says there are a few things you can do to prevent becoming a victim of identity theft. First, shred papers with ID information on it, such as utility bills or credit statements, when throwing them away. Also, keep your wallet in a safe place so no one can quickly copy the information if you walk away. He also suggests when giving a password for an account, do not give your mothers maiden name. Instead, make up a strange one only you would know. Brass says the first thing you should do if you suspect you are a victim of identity theft is file a police report. Then, close the accounts in question and contact the credit bureau.