We've all read about crazed fans stalking celebrities and either being arrested by police or taken care of by the celebrities' bodyguards.

But most people don't realize that the majority of stalking victims are not public figures or celebrities.

"People think they're immune to it because they're not a celebrity," said Becky Moreno, victim advocate for Warsaw.

"They blow things off because they're not recognizing the signs."

In reality, more than 1 million women are stalked each year, and approximately three-fourths of women who are murdered were stalked before the homicide.

The most difficult aspect of stalking, Moreno said, is that no one ever knows what sets off the stalker.

Sometimes it's someone the victim knows. Sometimes it's a total stranger she smiled at or made eye contact with in a class or store.

Once the stalking begins, she said, the victim's first instinct is to politely tell the stalker "thanks, but no thanks" for the gifts, phone calls, letters, visits, etc.

That's the wrong thing to do.

"Any and every kind of contact encourages them," Moreno said.

"Make it clear to them one time - no contact - then get the police involved.

"It's important to recognize the early signs because they're obsessed and the stalking will escalate."

Most experts say that notifying the police is one step, but the police cannot protect you around the clock. And since the stalker won't stop what he's doing, it's up to the victim in this instance to protect herself.

First, the Justice Department recommends, limit accessibility. Use a post office box for all mail; tell creditors, utilities, subscriptions and credit-reporting companies of your new address and have them remove your home address from their records.

Remove your personal address from checks, letterheads and business cards, and use a non-home mailing address for credit card applications and voter registration.

Get an unlisted phone number and limit the number of people to whom you give the number. Don't change your number if the stalker gains access to it - instead, get a second one and keep the old number hooked up to an answering machine.

Conversations on cordless phones can be monitored, so never give or verify your home address or any other personal details over the phone.

Describe the threatening person to family members, neighbors, co-workers, school officials and police, and distribute photos, if available.

Vary your routes to work and elsewhere, as well as your routine and social habits. Plan trips ahead and know the locations of police stations, fire departments and shopping centers.

Park in well-lit areas and visually check front and back seats before unlocking the car. Equip your car's gas tank with a locking cap.

Invest in a cell phone so you can call for assistance without leaving the car, but remember that cell phone conversations can be picked up by a scanner.

Most important, avoid personal contact with the stalker, especially threats or coercion. [[In-content Ad]]