Kyle McOmber is struggling to recover his identity after discovering that someone three states away was using his Social Security number.

McOmber, a BYU sophomore and Farmington native, recently applied for a job. During the routine background check, his supervisor discovered that another individual had been using McOmber's Social Security number for employment in Texas.

As illustrated by the experience of McOmber and others, students at BYU are not immune from incidents of identity theft. It is the fastest growing crime in the nation, according to the Identity Theft Reporting Information System (I.R.I.S.).

Most people do not realize how easily criminals can obtain personal data without even having to break into a home, according to the United States Department of Justice Web site.

McOmber said he never really thought about the possibility of his identity being stolen.

"I knew it [identity theft] was a problem, but I never thought it would affect me," McOmber said.

Identity thieves stole nearly $100 million from financial institutions last year, or an average of $6,767 per victim, according to MY ID Fix, an identity theft prevention and victim center.

"The typical identity theft we have here on campus is someone stealing a purse or wallet and then using the victim's ID card to obtain services," said Captain Michael Harroun, of University police.

In April 2005, computer hackers installed a program that recorded keystrokes onto four computers in the Widtsoe Building computer lab. The program recorded information like credit card numbers, net IDs and passwords. It was discovered by a lab assistant and removed from the lab computers.

"Every conceivable way people can think of to lie, cheat, deceive or con you, they will," Harroun said.

Colleges and universities all over the country have also faced identity theft issues.

In spring 2005 at Purdue University in Indiana, hackers accessed more than 11,000 personal records, including Social Security numbers of former and current employees, according to "Inside Purdue," a Purdue University periodical.

In 2003, Indiana University School of Medicine announced hackers had gained unauthorized access to one computer at the university's Center for Sleep Disorders that had the names, addresses, Social Security numbers and dates of birth of about 7,000 patients, according to the Freedom of Information Center.

"Right now, the thing that is most troubling is the large number of data breaches," said Paul Stephens, a policy analyst at Privacy Rights Clearinghouse in San Diego. "It is so troubling because even an individual who is extremely responsible and careful, there really is not a whole lot they can do to protect themselves. They have to give out certain information, like Social Security numbers and bank codes, to employers and credit card companies. You trust them [employers and financial institutions] to take care of your private information. When they betray that trust, your identity can be stolen."

McOmber is currently working with the Social Security Administration to prove that he is the real Kyle McOmber. He just submitted a request for an earnings statement, which will show how the stealing of his Social Security number affected his credit, like credit cards issued under his Social Security number.

"I haven't really been angry or frustrated. I guess I am just confident that I can work things out," McOmber said.

Beyond the scope of BYU, the state of Utah is also facing significant identity theft issues.

The state ranks 20th in the nation for the most incidences of identity theft, according to the Federal Trade Commission.

According to the FTC's Consumer Sentinel Web site, the rankings are based on the number of complaints

and number of victims.

However, it is hard to tell if the ranking reflects solely the number of complaints and victims, or if it also takes into account the fact that Utah has an aggressive identity theft task force which makes a significant number of arrests, said Pat Kiernan, supervisory special agent at the Salt Lake FBI.

"They [thieves] are just looking for money," said Detective Craig Gains of the Orem Police Department. "Wherever the money is, they'll go after it."

Gains also said it doesn't have to be thousands of dollars, but any amount of money will attract identity

theft. Identity theft most often occurs with stolen purses, checks or credit cards, Gains said.

Copyright Brigham Young University 12 Jul 2006