Identity theft - described as the "crime that keeps on giving" - has risen 600 percent nationally since 2000, Scott recently told about 50 in attendance at Alta High School. He says the experience will cost each victim $1,400, on average, over three to five years and $250 to $300 in phone calls, faxes, reports, lost wages and other expenses to restore their credit.

What's the first thing identity thieves are after?

"The Holy Grail is the Social Security number," Scott says. "It's the gateway to everything - access to your life."

With a little more digging, Scott adds, anyone can find out where you work, bank, live and who holds your mortgage. Despite that fact, people do a poor job of protecting their Social Security numbers.

"Anybody is free to ask you for it, and you're free to not give it," Scott says.

Some businesses may try to deny service to people who won't divulge their Social Security numbers. Scott advises people asked for that personal information to politely, firmly, ask why it is needed, how that information will be used and how the business is going to protect it.

"Make them work for it," he says. "If you feel good about their answers, go ahead."

Scott says the Internet is rife with thieves looking for a few good patsies. E-mail scams such as the Nigerian cashier check or the Canadian lottery scam try to trick people into believing they have won a lottery and must forward upfront "tax" money before receiving their winnings. Another scam is the e-mail purporting to be from a wealthy Nigerian royal who informs recipients they can earn a couple of grand simply by cashing a cashier's check and wiring the funds out of the country. Unsuspecting victims' money soon is off to Kazakhstan or Costa Rica, their bank is defrauded and they are potentially in trouble with their financial institution.

Scott tells people to put such proposals to the test.

"I call it the 'real person test,' " he says. "Don't believe anything over the Internet that you wouldn't believe in person."

Phishing, or bogus e-mails purporting to be from banks, Pay Pal and other companies asking recipients to re-enter sensitive information, is another tactic used by identity thieves to steal information. So is pre-texting, the phone version of phishing.

While reputable companies never will ask for account information online, he says, banks and other institutions occasionally will phone customers to verify charges or about other matters. When that happens, Scott advises, people should get off the phone, get a statement from the company and call that customer service number to verify the telephone call came from the company instead of a scam artist.

Scott says mail theft also is a common means of identity theft.

"Anybody can do it," he says. "Mailboxes - yours and the blue boxes - are the hardest-hit targets out there."

Go inside the post office to, he urges.

Deborah Otteson of Draper has twice been a victim of identity theft. First, her California driver license number was lifted off a check and used fraudulently; then, her mail was stolen from the Draper post office. In the latter case, thieves forged 10 checks for a total of about $1,000. In both cases, no one was caught.

"I was just sick," she says.

Scott's advice: Kiss off that checkbook.

While credit and debit cards may be cancelled if stolen, that's not true of checkbooks. He says criminals just need a checking account number. With that and a photocopier, they can write forged checks on closed accounts for years. Consider online banking instead, he suggests. It's very secure and convenient.

And use a cross-cut shredder to destroy those pesky credit card applications. No matter how finely one rips them, meth addicts, or "tweakers," will be happy to piece them back together and submit them. Shred anything with an account number, Social Security number or other sensitive information.

"Stop short of family pets," Scott jokes.

He says it is important to check account balances and credit reports often.

"I can destroy you financially in a day and a half," Scott says. "Imagine what I can do in 30 days."

The law allows one free credit report once a year from each of the three credit bureaus. Take advantage to make sure you are not an unwitting crime victim. If your identity is stolen, Scott says, file a police report, notify banks and other businesses you deal with, then notify the credit bureaus to place a fraud alert on your account.

Find out more

* For information about identity theft, consult the Web at www.idtheft.utah.gov, or visit www.annualcreditreport.com.