Main type of ID theft not what you think

Planning to go out on the town? Keep an especially tight rein onyour personal information.

For the second year in a row, Florida ranks first nationallyamong all states in identity theft, according to the recentlyreleased Consumer Sentinel Network Data Book.

In both 2009 and 2010, Florida garnered the most identity theftcomplaints per 100,000 population. In 2010, our state racked up21,581 of the 250,854 identity theft complaints recorded nationally.And nationally, identity theft was the top-scorer in consumercomplaints -- representing 19 percent of 1.3 million complaints,Consumer Sentinel Network reports.

Be especially careful if you're headed to the Miami-FortLauderdale or Port St. Lucie metro areas. Of the 50 largest metroareas, Miami-Fort Lauderdale ranked first in identity theftcomplaints and Port St. Lucie ranked 35th. Palm Beach County is noton the list.

Don't necessarily dismiss the seriousness of identity theft inour area. The Consumer Sentinel Network is a secure online databaseof consumer complaints available only to law enforcement. However,this database is limited to complaints received by very selectagencies.

Major agencies reporting the complaints include the Federal TradeCommission, Internet Crime Complaint Center, Better BusinessBureaus, the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre, the U.S. Postal InspectionService, the Identity Theft Assistance Center and the National FraudInformation Center.

I can testify to the database's limitations because I recentlywas an identity theft victim and never reported the case to any ofthose agencies. My credit card security department never indicatedthat it was reporting my incident to any of the reporting agencieseither.

Fortunately, however, my credit card's security departmentspotted the theft before the charges -- spanning from Mexico toBangladesh -- ever made it to my credit card bill. I was assuredthat I would not be liable. An open question to lenders and lawenforcement authorities: How many other bank credit card accountshave suffered similar unreported losses -- which tallied more than$2,000 apiece?

Contrary to what you might think, credit card fraud does notrepresent the chief type of identity theft in Florida, according tothe report. Rather, in both 2009 and 2010, the leading type ofidentity theft in Florida involved "government documents or benefitsfraud."

"It's a type of identity theft in which the thief is usingsomeone's identity to obtain some type of benefit from thegovernment," Federal Trade Commission spokesman Frank Dorman says.Examples: Claiming the victim's tax refund, obtaining a job usingthe victim's identity or getting a driver license with the victim'sidentity. It also may involve obtaining another type of payment owedto a victim, such as welfare or food stamps.

Slightly displacing credit cards in Florida identity theft,besides government documents or benefits fraud, the reportindicates, is bank fraud.

This type of identity theft involves checking and savingsaccounts and electronic funds transfers rather than credit cards.

As for other types of frauds: Florida ranks fifth on ConsumerSentinel's list of "Fraud and other complaints." Florida issuperseded only by Colorado, Maryland, Nevada and Alaska.

Nationally, the largest percentage of fraud complaints -- 44percent -- listed wire transfer as the method of payment, followedby 24 percent listing credit cards. The bulk of fraudsters -- 45percent -- based on complaint data, contacted consumers by e-mail.The most victims -- 24 percent -- ranged in age from 50 to 59 yearsold.

The chief fraud complaint in Florida and nationwide -- excludingidentity theft -- was debt collection.Gail Liberman is co-author ofseveral books with her husband, Alan Lavine. Their latest, publishedby Que, is 'Quick Steps to Financial Stability.' You may e-mail herat MWliblav@aol.com