Westchester County police who investigate identity theft related crimes say someone?s life can be literally swept away with the swipe of a credit card.

County police say identity theft is one of the fastest growing crimes using technology. One Westchester resident simply mailed her license renewal to the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) and someone working inside a DMV office stole her social security number. Armed with that information, the person stole her identity and racked up $25,000 in charges on credit cards and even rented an apartment using her name.

Police also warn of a scam known as ?skimming? where a person gives a waiter a credit card and they swipe it into a machine that gathers personal information. And other means of identity theft keep growing as technology advances. Police say wireless Internet services in public places can also attract hackers that can get into a person?s computer. As the identity theft victim from Westchester knows, the experience can be both financially and emotionally draining.