Identity theft on the rise in Kansas

Experts say identity theft is on the rise, but local residents should be wary to help prevent becoming a victim of the growing crime.

LifeLock, an American identity theft protection company based in Tempe, Ariz., is trying to educate consumers about potential identity theft threats. A recent report released by the Federal Trade Commission shows that Kansas moved up two spots from last year in the number of identity theft complaints, and complaints are up nearly 12 percent, Paige Hanson, manager of educational programs for LifeLock, said.

"It's happening a lot more," she said. "The numbers are probably higher actually because not everyone reports their problem."

Kansas now ranks 24th in the nation in identity theft complaints. States at the top of the list include Florida at No. 1, Georgia (No. 2), California (No. 3), and Arizona (No. 4).

The FTC report details local and state identity theft statistics and rankings, and lists the top reported types of identity theft in Kansas.

Hanson said bank fraud tops the list of most reported types of identity theft in the state. Government documents fraud involving the filing of income taxes on someone's behalf in order to obtain the refund is "not far behind" at second, she said.

"We're finding out from hundreds of thousands of people that someone had already filed on their behalf," Hanson said.

These people typically get a letter stating that an error has occurred with filing their taxes or they were possibly a victim of identity theft because they had already filed their taxes. Victims should file a complaint with the IRS, contact local police to file a report and "stay on top of getting that refund," Hanson said.

Victims spend numerous hours straightening out their lives following an incident of identity theft, she said.

Online identity theft is popular, with a target demographic of people between 20-29 years of age who are posting more information online.

"They should limit the amount of information they're sending out," she said.

Children 18 and younger and senior citizens are also big targets as they are "incredibly vulnerable," Hanson said. She recommends that parents who check their credit report to also check the child's credit report.

Seniors are especially susceptible to telephone and mail scams.

"They're lonelier; they want someone to talk to," Hanson said. "There's a friendly voice on the other end asking for credit card information, or some other story to draw them in because they are more trusting."

Residents may protect themselves by taking advantage of an annual credit report they may receive for free from www.creditreport.com involving the three main credit bureaus. People may check the credit report for any sign of possible fraudulent activity.

Other free steps people can take include visiting www.dmachoice.org to opt out of receiving mail that is not requested.

Data breaches at companies are also happening more frequently, and occur mainly when important documents are just thrown out instead of shredded, Hanson said.

Phishing, the act of defrauding an online account holder of financial information by posing as a legitimate company, is "at an all-time high," Hanson said.

"People click on a link and provide their personal information," she said. "It looks like it's coming from a credible source ... People could buy a house or car in your name."

In 2011, there were almost 280,000 identity theft complaints filed nationwide, Hanson said. Millions of Americans are victims of the crime each year.