LANSING – Identity theft is a serious problem in the U.S., but Grand Traverse County Prosecutor Alan Schneider said northern Michigan residents have become more aware of the issue and successfully protected themselves.

Schneider, who took office in 2004, has not seen many identity theft cases.

“I could probably count on one hand how many identity theft cases we’ve actually had,” Schneider said. “Quite frankly, I think people are catching on to schemes and they’re not as successful as they used to be.”

The drop in incidents can be best attributed to media attention and educational programs about scam artists, and to commercials and Web sites relaying information about popular tactics that help people understand the need to be more aware, Schneider said.

“Having these things publicized and knowing these things are taking place has done some good,” Schneider said. “We’ve seen a decrease in that activity because merchants or financial institutions are more aware of those kinds of things.”

Still, identity theft affects hundreds of Americans every day, and it is important that consumers educate themselves on ways to protect their identity, experts say.

There were 246,035 cases of identity theft reported in 2006, according to a survey conducted by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC). There were 6,784 vcases reported in Michigan.

“Identity theft cases may have gone down in Grand Traverse County, but statewide, but frankly, overall I think its pretty status-quo,” said Detective 1st Lt. Marty Bugbee, commander of the Sate Police criminal investigation section.

“The low level stuff where people become unwitting victims of naivety, that’s decreased. But we still have the stuff at the organized crime levels that have enlarged,” Bugbee said.

It is also an unusual type of crime that, in many ways, stands by itself, said attorney general communications liaison Matt Frendeway.

“What’s unique about identity theft is that you don’t discover the thief until its way down the line,” Frendeway said. “It’s normally not until the problem becomes so large and so mammoth that it comes to light – like someone’s credit card will max. People will be forced to talk about it.”

A reluctance to report the crime to the police, however, makes identity theft tough to prosecute, Frendeway said. Sixty-two percent of victims of identity theft did not notify a police department in 2006, according to the FTC survey.

“In some instances, the perpetrator can’t be found,” Frendeway said. “In e-mail scams, if the person is overseas, prosecutors are not going to be able to find them. If they’re located in Taiwan or Egypt or London for one, we don’t have jurisdiction, and they would have to come back. But even then it’s difficult to track them down.”

Prosecuting identity theft is not impossible and thit’s essential to catch violators before it’s too late, Fendeway said. “The key, like most crimes, is that the sooner you can alert law enforcement of the problem, the better chance they have to prosecute the problem.”

The Michigan Bankers Association in Lansing, through educational programs and safer technology, advises consumers and educates the public on ways to avoid identity theft, vice president of communications Gail Madziar said.

“Banks are considered one of the safest places by people for identity protection,” said Madziar, noting a recent American Bankers Association survey that reported 66 percent of consumers found banks the most trustworthy in protecting their information.

“What we would like to do is offer some consumer tips to avoid becoming a victim. “Tear up receipts, credit card bills, and don’t mail bills from your own mailbox with the flag up. If you are online, do business with companies you know are reputable and don’t open e-mail from unknown sources. Order copies of your credit report once a year to ensure accuracy.”

Banks in Michigan have been adamant about stressing the need for consumers to educate themselves, said Madziar.

“As PINs and debit card have been used more regularly, it’s given way to even more security needs,” said Madziar. “It’s very much in the forefront in banking technology, and I expect to see more as we go along. It is a number one objective.”

Said Fendeway, “It’s still a serious problem that Michigan is facing and I know that law enforcement and the attorney general are serious about addressing it criminally. If we can build the case, we’re not shy from prosecuting it. At the same time, we address it on a consumer level, helping people prevent identity theft.”

The economic troubles facing Michigan would suggest a rise in criminal identity theft crimes, but drunken driving and other crimes have risen instead.

Said Schneider, “When the economy goes down, crime goes up. Everybody knows that. Identity theft crimes may have risen across the state, but in Grand Traverse county I can’t say that’s the case.”

State Police Lt. Amos Horton in Williamsburg doesn’t consider identity theft as big a problem as it used to be, either.

“It’s not what I’d call rampant, not any more than anywhere else,” Horton said. “It’s happening anywhere. It’s an opportunity to get easy money in a less risky way, as opposed to breaking and entering or something.”