When Kim Umbaugh lost her purse while shopping at Amish Acres in Nappanee 14 years ago, she had no idea what she was in for.

After the purse was stolen, Kim and her husband Randy, Warsaw, contacted credit card companies and their bank to report the theft.

Little did they know that their ordeal was just beginning.

The thief got ahold of Kim's driver's license and Social Security number and used her personal information to open a checking account at a bank in Bloomington. The person, who to the Umbaughs' knowledge was never caught, then went on a three-day spending spree and spent more than $3,000 at 40 locations in southern Indiana.

Kim was unaware of the account until a detective from Bloomington contacted her about two months later. After speaking with Kim, the detective realized that Kim was a victim of identity theft.

That was in 1991.

Kim spent numerous hours on the telephone with credit bureaus and at least three county courthouses trying to clear up the situation.

"The first five years, I spent so much time dealing with the credit bureaus and the courts," Kim said. "Just when I thought it was finished, another check would come up in another county."

Kim thought everything had been cleared up.

"I thought it was over, finally," she said.

Until Jan. 28, 2005.

Kim was stopped for a speeding violation, but when the officer who pulled her over ran the standard warrant search, her name came up in the computer. The officer then arrested Kim on a warrant for failure to appear and took her to the Kosciusko County Jail.

"He was just doing his job," said Kim. "I just didn't know what to say to him. I thought about trying to explain the situation, but I didn't think it would do any good."

The warrant for Kim's arrest was from Morgan County, and it stemmed from a check written on the bogus account in 1991.

Luckily, Kim still had all the paperwork from the detective in Bloomington and the situation was cleared up and the charges were dropped when she took the information to the Kosciusko County Prosecutor's Office. But not before Kim spent six hours in jail, had to pay $85 to get her van out of the impound lot and had her name appear in the County Jail Bookings in the Jan. 29 Times-Union.

Kim's story is not uncommon. Identity theft is becoming more common in today's society. And Kosciusko County is no exception.

"(Identity theft) is getting more common here," said Kosciusko County Sheriff Aaron Rovenstine. "We have definitely seen an increase in the past couple years.

"It is difficult for us because it goes across so many jurisdictions. An ID might be stolen here but used in another state. It is hard to track."

According to Indiana law, identity deception, a Class D felony, is when "a person who knowingly or intentionally obtains, possesses, transfers or uses the identifying information of another person: 1) without the other person's consent; and 2) with the intent to A) harm or defraud another person; B) assume another person's identity; or C) professes to be another person."

The Federal Trade Commission says identity theft is the fastest growing crime and victims spend an average of 175 hours and $808 to clear their names after having their identity stolen.

The numbers are intimidating, but consumers can greatly reduce their risk of identity theft by taking a few simple precautions.

First, keep anything containing personal information in a safe place. Try not to carry Social Security numbers, bank statements and other unnecessary personal information.

"Be very cautious of your Social Security number, date of birth and other personal information," said Kim Umbaugh.

Second, destroy any unnecessary papers.

"Be careful with things you throw away," said Rovenstine.

"Shred mail that has personal information or account numbers," said Kim.

Third, check credit reports from major credit bureaus. All accounts in a person's name will be listed on the reports.

"Check with the credit bureaus," Kim said. As of March 1, anyone in Indiana may request a free copy of their credit report once a year. Any new accounts opened under a name will be shown on the credit reports.

Fourth, pay attention to billing cycles and statements. Important information is contained in the statement and can be detrimental if it gets in the wrong hands.

Fifth, be cautious when using personal information on the Internet.

"We see a lot of Internet fraud," said Rovenstine. "Make sure the lines you use are secure."

Anyone who believes they may be a victim of identity theft should contact police officials immediately to file a report and document progress in the case. [[In-content Ad]]