PICKENS COUNTY — Identity theft is on the rise and people need to start doing what they can to protect themselves from becoming victims of this crime that is difficult to solve, requires long hours to clean up, and can leave lives and futures in ruins, said Dennis Weathers, senior investigator in loss management for Wachovia Corporation.

“This is the fastest growing crime in America today,” Weathers said.

Identity theft is a crime in which a person obtains and uses the personal data of another that involves fraud and deception for mostly economic gain, he said.

Weathers, along with about 100 law enforcement investigators from North and South Carolina, attended a training conference sponsored by the Identity Theft Protection company LifeLock, the Federal Bureau of Investigations and the Law Enforcement Executive Development Association to learn new techniques in combating this ever-growing and financially devastating crime.

Florida Department of Law Enforcement Resident Agent in Charge Wayne Ivy said the first step in fighting identity theft is for law enforcement to not only take the report from the victim but to educate people that reporting the crime is necessary in both identifying suspects and preventing future cases of identity thefts and fraud.

“This crime is increasing, and it varies from state to state,” he said. “Right now, Arizona has the highest number of identity theft cases.”

LifeLock, a company which offers identity theft protection and support for victims, has seen an increase in the number of clients purchasing this program, he said.

In less than three years, the number of people choosing identity theft protection with that one company has increased to well over one million, he said.

“And there are other companies out there offering some form or another of identity theft protection,” he said. “People know they need to be protected.”

The most vulnerable group of people to identity theft and fraud is the elderly, he said.

“And far too often, they don’t want to report it,” Ivy said. “They are afraid their children will think they are too gullible to live alone and stick them into a nursing home.

“But families should be aware that this is happening to elderly parents and watch out for it,” he said.

Identity theft can occur in almost all of a person’s daily activities, he said.

“Just think, giving out your social security number in a doctor’s office seems simple enough, but about 40 people will then have access to your social security number,” he said. “And with a social security number, anyone can get credit cards.”

Other places, such as utility companies, check cashing businesses, restaurants, banks and credit card companies, and internet purchase give criminals an opportunity to cash in on capturing and then using someone else’s identity, Ivy said.

“Some suspects have admitted to looking over someone’s shoulder in a grocery store line and getting their credit or bank card number or driver’s license number,” he said. “Sometimes they take mail that has credit card numbers or social security numbers out of mailboxes, or they go through trash,” he said. “Sometimes identity theft occurs during a burglary.”

Pickens Assistant Chief Rodney Gregory and Sgt. Travis Riggs attended the one-day seminar in order to gain additional knowledge in the investigation and prosecution of identity thefts as well as in the prevention of that crime, Gregory said.

“The number of identity theft cases we are seeing is definitely increasing,” he said.

Captain Dewey Smith with the Pickens County Sheriff’s Office said that agency receives several reports daily involving identity theft and credit card fraud.

The numbers of identity theft and fraud incidents occurring within Pickens County has so increased that a special investigator has been assigned to manage the case load, he said.

People can assist in cutting back the ever increasing numbers by taking some steps toward prevention, Smith said.

“The best thing anyone could do toward preventing identity theft is to invest in a $20 paper shredder and then use it,” he said.

Also, do not give out any personal information over the phone, he said.

“Someone will call and say they are from your bank and then start asking questions,” he said. “The best thing to do when that happens is to just hang up on them.”

Refraining from placing credit card numbers or checking account numbers on the Internet would also aid in preventing fraud from occurring, Smith said.

“Only use secured web sites,” he said.

Using logic when making purchases on

Craig’s List or E-bay is another preventative step in becoming a victim of identity theft, Smith said.

“If you see a 1964 Mustang for $1,200 on Craig’s List and think you are going to buy it, you’ve probably just been had,” he said. “There was never a car for sale at that price, but they’ve just got your credit card number.”