Incidents of identity theft have nearly doubled in two years in State College, according to the State College Police Department.

Twelve incidents were reported from March 2005 to February 2006, with only six reports filed from March 2004 to February 2005, according to State College police incident records.

The increase is not unique to the area; in fact, identity theft has now passed drug trafficking as the No. 1 crime in the nation, according to U.S. Department of Justice statistics.

Within Pennsylvania and nationally, identity theft complaints increased by 82 percent in two years, according to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC). In 2005, there were 7,908 complaints in the state and 239,277 in the country. People between the ages of 18 and 29 accounted for 29 percent of the national complaints filed in 2005, according to the FTC.

Protecting personal information is the most important step in preventing identity theft crimes, Penn State University Police officer Sam Ricciotti said.

"A lot of people still carry their Social Security card in their wallet," Ricciotti said. "If their wallet is lost or stolen, whoever has possession of it has access to all their information."

Incidents of identity theft often go unreported because victims are unaware their personal information has been compromised, said Barry Creany, a senior deputy in the Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General's Bureau of Consumer Protection.

"A person might take a credit card and use it as soon as possible, before the victim has even noticed it was stolen," Ricciotti said, adding that technology makes it easier for criminals to steal personal information.

Phishing is an attempt to steal information through mass e-mail or instant messages, Creany said. Criminals imitate legitimate organizations, such as banks or financial institutions, and mislead victims into providing information such as credit card numbers or passwords, he said.

"If you have doubts, call the bank and make sure the e-mail is legitimate before responding," Ricciotti said.

Although such technology is widely available, some thieves still use old-fashioned methods. Criminals can steal information by taking items such as junk mail or old bills from garbage cans, Creany said.

According to the FTC, by filling out a change-of-address form, a thief can have a victim's mail containing personal information rerouted to them.

"Since all the information is diverted to another address, it might be months before you detect any problems," Creany said.

Creany said he suggests opting out of receiving junk mail like pre-approved credit offers and shredding personal documents before disposing of them.

Identity theft affects victims' personal records and may result in denial of credit, higher insurance or credit card fees, higher interest rates on loans and sometimes, difficulty in finding employment, according to the FTC.

The FTC indicates that clearing one's name costs victims an average of $1,800. Creany and Ricciotti said people should monitor their credit ratings regularly to detect problems early.

"Check your credit report at least once yearly," Ricciotti said. "It won't cost anything, and you can see if there is any activity you aren't aware of."

For anyone who suspects he or she is a victim, the first step is notifying credit bureaus so they can put a fraud alert on his or her account to prevent new credit from being established, Creany said. Victims should also file a police report and file with the FTC or the attorney general's office, he added.

"It doesn't mean they can catch the person, but it's a step," Creany said. "I see smaller ones getting snagged, but the more sophisticated ones are very difficult investigations."