HUNTSVILLE —



Credit and debit card users in Huntsville are still swiping their cards with caution, even as reports of identity theft continue to decline.

It’s been two weeks since the wave of credit and debit card number thefts began sweep the city. In response, Curves of Huntsville organized a pair of seminars this week to educate residents on identity theft and how to deal with it.

Curves owner Tish Humphrey said she was having lunch some weeks ago with her longtime friend Randy Wells — a local group benefits specialist providing pre-paid legal services — when the two realized how much the community could benefit from a seminar on one of the fastest growing crimes in the world.

Wells gave two hourlong presentations on identity theft trends Monday and Tuesday, and told residents that no one is safe from being victimized, no matter how careful they are.

“We saw what was happening and thought this would be a good thing to do for our community,” he said. “The trouble with identity theft is you never even have to leave home to be a victim.”

You don’t need a credit score to be victim of identity theft either, Wells added.

Only 16.5 percent of identity theft is detectable through credit reports, according to the Federal Trade Commission’s Annual Sentinel Study.  Almost 74 percent of ID theft is unrelated to financial information.

But the study also showed that legal expenses in identity theft cases range from $1,200 to $5,000. The average time it takes for someone to correct this type of problem on their own is estimated to between 35 and 130 hours.

“When we speak of identity theft we think of charge cards and bank account,” Wells said. “But think about driver’s licenses and social security cards. If someone steals your credit card information, you can cancel it and get a new one. But you can’t cancel your driver’s license.

“With ID theft, unlike any other crime, there is no presumption of innocence. You’re guilty until proven innocent.”

Wells said one of his clients was arrested for having driver’s licenses in five different states — a result of someone stealing his identity. Another one of Wells’ clients applied for a job at Wal-Mart but was told he already worked for the company.  His identity had been stolen, too.

These types of issues can adversely affect one’s employment potential. Violations associated with identity theft victims show up on background checks where the presumption of guilt is also eminent, according to experts.

Synthetic ID theft is the newest threat to identity safety. The thief takes parts of information from multiple victims, combining them to create a person who doesn’t really exist. Even though this offense doesn’t trace back to a single person, all the victims can be affected when it’s used.

Identity theft can be as serious as one being denied health benefits or collecting another person’s medical bills. The biggest mistake someone could make in that situation is paying the bills because that takes responsibility for the debt. Once you take responsibility for debt with payment, there usually is no getting out of it, Wells said.

“I had a client who was billed for a foot amputation operation,” Wells laughed. “She knew it couldn’t have been her because she had both feet.”

Wells advises people to check their children’s credit score periodically, since their personal information tends to be the most vulnerable among thieves.

“There are many ways to decrease the likelihood if identity theft but it can still happen,” Wells said. “I had another client whose 10-year-old son supposedly owned a condominium in Florida. Just because you may not use your identity for credit doesn’t mean a thief won’t use it.”