By Gillian Graham

Staff Writer

“Never tell anyone anything you don’t want to see on the front page of tomorrow’s New York Times.”

That, said privacy expert Andrew Featherman, should be everyone’s mantra when it comes to protecting against identity theft. During last week’s free identity theft and privacy concerns workshop sponsored by the Biddeford Saco Chamber of Commerce and the city of Saco, he outlined ways consumers can protect themselves against theft.

“Don’t tell people personal information if you think it will put you at risk,” Featherman said. “It’s common sense.”

Identity theft is expected to affect one of every five households in 2008, Featherman said, adding the average cost of identity theft for an individual is $16,000, with $600 out of pocket just to fix the problem. Victims can expect to spend up to 600 hours during a three year span resolving the problem. Most victims do not discover the theft until 14 months after it happens, he said.

Mainers need to be especially diligent in protecting their personal information because people don’t expect to be attacked here, Featherman said. People should also use alphanumeric passwords that are unique, put passwords on wireless Internet systems at home and drop outgoing mail in secure boxes at the post office, he said.

Featherman recommends everyone use a crosscut paper shredder to dispose of any document with personal information, including bills, credit card offers and other mail with personal information.

“If it goes out of your house, it goes out as a bag of confetti,” he said.

To minimize the risk of identity theft, residents should be careful who they tell personal information to, remove their names from junk mail lists, register phone numbers on the national do-not-call list and check credit reports from all three reporting agencies annually, Featherman said.

“Guard your information like your life, because it is your life,” he said.

Experts say consumers should never give Social Security numbers to anyone by email and be very careful when doing so on the phone. Residents should never give out personal information over the phone unless they initiated the call, Biddeford Police Chief Roger Beaupre said. 

Beaupre said area residents should be aware of a phone scam attempting to obtain credit card and Social Security numbers. Recently, residents have reported receiving recorded phone messages informing them a MasterCard cash advance account is overdrawn and asks them to call a toll-free number to verify their account and Social Security number.

Residents can help protect themselves against scams by conducting research and double-checking the validity of companies, Beaupre said.

“A lot of things appear to be reputable, but if you look closer they aren’t,” he said.

Inez Dudley, a forensic analyst with the Maine State Police Computer Crimes Unit, said a common scam currently circulating involves an email sender attempting to obtain bank account information. The sender will ask an email recipient to provide their bank account information so the sender can transfer money through the account. In turn, the recipient is promised up to several thousand dollars.

“As soon as they [provide information], they clean your accounts out,” Dudley said.

Another scam, known as the “Hitman Email Scam,” has slowed down in recent months, Dudley said. In this scam, people receive an email from a “hitman” saying he will not “terminate” the person in exchange for several thousand dollars, Dudley said. 

“If anything looks too good to be true, it probably is,” Dudley said. “There are no free deals on the Internet.”

If someone suspects they are a victim of identity theft, Featherman said the first thing to do is try not to panic. They should identify and list suspected damages, then immediately call one of the three credit reporting agencies -– Equifax, Experian or TransUnion. The victim should file a police report with the local police department and close all credit card and bank accounts, he said.

By law, consumers can request a free copy of their credit report annually. Featherman said he recommends every consumer review their credit report as well as all monthly bank and credit card statements for suspicious activity.