A. Yes, in 2008, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) received 313,982 complaints about identity theft, up from 258,427 complaints in 2007. A recent survey showed that nearly 10 million adults were victims in 2008.

The rise in identity theft and fraud is probably due to several factors including increased sophistication of the thieves, more data being collected about people, significant security breaches, worsening economic conditions and too many consumers still not taking the simple precautions necessary to protect themselves.

Ten Easy Steps to Protect your Personal Information and Detect Fraud

1. Practice mail security. Use a public mailbox rather than your home mailbox to send bill payments and other mail containing sensitive information. Pick up your mail promptly and ask the post office to hold it while you’re away.

2. Guard your Social Security number. Don’t carry your Social Security card, military ID, Medicare or other cards that have your Social Security number on them. Only provide your number when there is a legitimate need to do so.

3. Lock and shred. Keep your billing and bank statements and other personal records locked up and shred them when no longer needed.

4. Stop prescreened credit and insurance mailings. Call toll-free 1-888-567-8688 to get off mailing lists for credit and insurance offers. Your Social Security number will be required. This keeps thieves from intercepting and accepting the offers in your name and doesn’t affect your eligibility for credit or insurance.

5. Keep private information to yourself. Never respond to phone calls or emails asking to confirm your Social Security number or account numbers. Don’t leave PIN number, passwords or other personal information around for others to see.

6. Be safe online. Use anti-virus and anti-spyware software and a firewall on your computer and keep them updated. When you provide financial or other sensitive information online, the address should change from “http” to “https” or “shttp.” A symbol such as a lock that closes may also indicate that the transaction is secure.

7. Look at your bills and bank statements promptly. If you find any charges or debits that you never made, contact the bank or company immediately.

8. Monitor your accounts online frequently. You can discover problems more quickly than if you wait for bills or statements to come by mail.

9. Check your credit reports regularly. You can get them free once every 12 months. Go to www.annualcreditreport.com, call 1-877-322-8228 or mail your request to Annual Credit Report Request Service, P. O. Box 105281, Atlanta, GA 30348-5281. Your name, address, Social Security number and date of birth will be required. You don’t have to get your reports from all the consumer reporting agencies at once; you can stagger your requests throughout the year.

10. Pay attention to debt collectors. Calls or letters about overdue accounts you don’t recognize could indicate identity theft.

Having your identity stolen does not have to ruin your life or your credit. ID Theft Assist, the only true third-party recovery service for identity theft victims, can help restore your credit and your good name. Find out more about this new, low-cost product.

At Nonprofit Resources, our insurance programs offer a wide range of competitively priced packages. Remember, profits earned by Nonprofit Resources are used to support Colorado Nonprofit Association programs.

Please contact us when you are purchasing insurance for your organization. You can reach us via phone at 303-894-0298 or toll-free at 866-537-1142.