YAKIMA, Wash. -- If checks you ordered never showed up in the mail or you notice unfamiliar activity on your credit card accounts, chances are you're a victim of identity theft.

A seemingly growing problem in the Yakima Valley and across the country, identity theft not only can bury you in debt that isn't yours, but also ruin you credit.

Identity theft can occur a number of ways, but the more common methods here range from someone stealing checks out of mailboxes, to acquiring checking or credit card numbers over the phone or the Internet.

"It's a fast-growing crime, but oftentimes it's not well policed or enforced because of a lack of resources," said David Gilbreath, president and CEO of Consumer Credit Counseling Service of Yakima Valley. "It's much easier to try to prevent it rather than try to clean it up later."

Nationally, identity theft accounted for 26 percent of the 1.2 million complaints received in 2008 by the Consumer Sentinel Network, which tracks and compiles consumer complaints for the Federal Trade Commission.

Identity theft complaints have increased nationwide from a mere 31,140 in 2000 to more than 314,000 in 2008. In 2008, Washington ranked 14th in the nation with more than 5,800 complaints.

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But there are measures you can take to safeguard yourself, Gilbreath said.

You should be in the habit of checking your own credit once a year. That will allow you to see if there have been any accounts opened in your name that you don't know about.

If you find an account you didn't open, close it immediately, put a fraud alert on your credit report by contacting one of the major credit reporting agencies, and file reports with police and the Federal Trade Commission, he said.

"Because later on, that police report can be extremely valuable when talking to creditors because it will establish when your identity was stolen," he said.

A fraud alert on your credit report will halt creditors from issuing new credit.

Rather than having your bank mail checks, where a thief can pluck them from your mailbox, pick them up in person at the bank.

Often you won't know your checks have been stolen until someone has written them all over town, he said.

Although you may close your account immediately, that won't stop checks from bouncing that already have been written, he said.

Although the bank may know the checks were stolen, stores and businesses where the checks were written may not be as forgiving, he said.

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Fraudulent check writers make up the bulk of identity theft problems in Yakima, said Yakima Police Sgt. Tony Bennett.

Thieves will often use your checking account numbers and place them on check stock they buy, he said.

There isn't a task force specifically tackling identity theft, but police do make a concerted effort to handle cases as they come up, he said.

"We do get a number of them every week," he said. "We look into them -- we look into every one of them."

Stolen debit cards probably run about the same, he said.

Some businesses ask for identification when people use debit cards to pay for purchases, but they're not required to do so and consumers don't have to show a picture identification, said Gilbreath.

He encourages people not to give out their PIN numbers for their cards to anyone, even close friends.

"Even if you're paying for dinner and with friends, you never, never give out your PIN number," he said. "You'd be surprised how often that comes back around and bites someone on the rear."

Also, don't give out credit card or checking account numbers over the phone or Internet to unverified people, warns Sally Meredith, vice president of Central Valley Bank in Yakima.

Thieves can say they are representatives of your bank in attempts to get that information, she said.

"Banks usually don't ask for that information in e-mails for phone calls," she said. "Banks know that information."

That goes for Social Security numbers as well, adds Gilbreath.

If you do online banking or shop on the Internet, watch out for unfamiliar e-mail offers, she said.

"A lot of times, as soon as you open that e-mail, it will have a virus," she said. "Viruses can tap into your personal information, like checking account information, if you keep that information on your computer."

Taking outgoing mail, especially credit card bill payments, directly to a mail drop box rather than your own mailbox for the mail carrier to pick up can save headaches as well, Gilbreath said.

"If somebody drives by and intercepts your credit card bill, they've got your credit card number, address, and everything," he said.

Stealing mail from a mailbox is a federal crime, and carries a maximum sentence of up to five years in prison.

Discarding junk mail credit card offers can also pose a problem. Someone can take those offers from your trash, fill them out and open an account in your name.

Your best bet is to shred anything with your personal information on it, especially if you use a community garbage pickup commonly used at apartment complexes.

You can discontinue such offers by calling 888-567-8688, a government number.

Gilbreath warned against making a habit of carrying your Social Security card or other information vital to your identity and finances with you in the event that you lose it.

"Take a look at what you carry in your wallet and purse and ask yourself what if you lost it," he said. "What is in there that someone could use to steal your identity?"

* Phil Ferolito can be reached at 509-577-7749 or pferolito@yakimaherald.com.

If you're a victim

1. Place a fraud alert on your credit report.

2. Close accounts that you know or believe have been tampered with or fraudulently opened.

3. File a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission.

4. File a report with your local police or with the police in the area the identity theft took place.

Resources

* Free credit report from the federal government: www.annualcreditreport.com.

* State Department of Financial Institutions: www.dfi.wa.gov.

* Federal Trade Commission's toll-free identity-theft help line: 877-ID-THEFT; www.ftc.gov.

* To end credit card offers by mail, call 888-567-8688.

Consumer reporting companies

* TransUnion: 800-680-7289; www.transunion.com; Fraud Victim Assistance Division, P.O. Box 6790, Fullerton, CA 92834-6790.

* Equifax: 1-800-525-6285; www.equifax.com; P.O. Box 740241, Atlanta, GA 30374-0241.

* Experian: 1-888-EXPERIAN (888-397-3742); www.experian.com; P.O. Box 9532, Allen, TX 75013.