As the recession deepens and people become more desperate, identity theft is on the rise locally and across the nation.

Locally, more than 150 identity theft scams were reported between 2007 and 2008, Hanford police said.

"These types of crimes are on the rise and the crooks change their tactics almost daily," said Daren Matteson, a Hanford police investigator who handles identity theft cases. "Once they have your information, they will open credit cards in your name, order items over the Internet and even take out an equity loan against your house."

There are many methods identity thieves use to steal your livelihood. One prominent financial crime involves a party asking you to cash a $5,000 check, while keeping $500 for yourself. This happens a lot with Internet and classified ads. The check is fraudulent and will be reported as such after you've mailed the rest of the money to the criminals.

"ID thieves rely on a person's trusting nature," Matteson said. "Ninety-nine percent of the time, any solicitation of personal information is going to be a thief. These crimes are changing daily to keep ahead of us informing the public.

"The old saying is the best answer: If it sounds too good to be true, it is. In the case of ID theft, if it sounds too good, it's a crime."

With that in mind, Hanford police recommend the following tips to protect yourself from becoming a victim:

l Do not give out information to people you don't know, even when solicited over the phone or through e-mails. Just because a person tells you they represent your bank doesn't necessarily mean he or she is being honest with you.

l If you are asked to give out identifying information, refuse. Ask for the individual's name and the business they represent, then look up that business in the phone book and call them to see if they really do require your personal information.

Do not rely on any phone number given to you by the initial caller.

l Any suspicious looking e-mails or letters from an institution claiming to be your bank should be turned over to the bank itself to determine if fraudulent activity is involved.

l If you become a victim, contact officials at your bank or financial institution and tell them what happened.

Then file a fraud report for your credit line with one of the credit bureau's: Experian, Equifax or Trans Union.

l A good preventative method is to get a free credit report from one of these companies every four months.

Each organization cross-reports with each other, so you can use a different group every four months and get the services without being charged.

The reporter can be reached at 583-2425.

(Feb. 22, 2009)