Consumer experts say it's the fastest growing white-collar crime in the nation.

KX reporter Amber Schatz is just one UND alumni who recently had an identity theft scare.

She talks with the experts about I-D theft precautions. It's a notice about my confidential information. A laptop computer containing alumni information from my college was stolen.

Parrell Grossman/Consumer Protection: "This happened over a month ago, and we don't have any information indicating that someone has been an ID theft victim."


We were informed quickly of the incident... and assured that information, like Social Security numbers were protected through an encryption system...

Grossman: "Had that information not been encrypted as is often the case when information is on a laptop, it can create serious problems for consumers."


Serious problems like costing victims potential jobs, their credit, major loans and of course lots of money.

Consumer experts say everyone should take steps to prevent identity theft before it happens. Don't give out your social security number, opt out of pre-approved credit cards, avoid phish scams online and check your credit report before it hits rock bottom.

Grossman: "They go to a bank to apply for a loan or credit card and find all of these unauthorized charges or unauthorized accounts in their name." Once I-D theft victims reach that point, it's a long process to get their credit back to normal but Grossman says it is possible. He says you should first file a report with local law enforcement and the attorney general's office. Then report the fraud to a credit bureau and finally close accounts that have been tampered with.

Grossman: "The sooner you deal with it, the sooner you take action to remedy the problem, the better off you'll be.

Some other tips to protect yourself:shred all of your financial records and don't give out account numbers or social security numbers over the phone or email. watch the video | save this article / add to your favorites list