With identity theft crimes on the rise, police say there are many ways people can safeguard themselves from becoming victims.

One Westchester woman learned how to protect herself from identity theft the hard way. Police say criminals stole her social security number, created a fake identity in her name and racked up $25,0000 in charges. Authorities say it is very important that anyone who becomes a victim of identity theft report it to the police immediately and notify three credit reporting companies.

Experts say it is also important to shred all credit card and financial statements and not to keep social security cards in wallets. They also advise to check your credit report yearly and ask about a program with credit card companies where they will notify you before authorizing any lines of credit.

Police say catching identity thieves is difficult, so the best solution is to protect against them.

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Related links Preventing Identity Theft Rockland County Sheriff's Computer Crime Task Force Federal Trade Commission