Protect your personal information.

Don't be a victim of consumer fraud

That message rang loud and clear at a consumer-fraud seminar hosted locally by AARP last week.

Consumers can't assume anymore that their garbage won't be targeted by "Dumpster divers." Mail boxes, especially rural ones, are also prime pickings for identity thieves these days. Con artists find unsuspecting consumers via the telephone and Internet, too, with plenty of scams to glean Social Security numbers, bank-account numbers and other personal tidbits.

"It's a new era, said Federal Trade Commission investigator Laureen France. "Your personal information is more valuable to the bad guys than your money."

Identity theft is now the fastest-growing crime in America. It's disheartening to think that virtually no one is safe from this often insidious crime. But the good news is that consumers do have the power to safeguard themselves; it just takes time and constant vigilance.

Montana is fortunate to have a good fraud-fighting duo in Helena, with Attorney General Mike McGrath and State Auditor John Morrison. Both men have put consumer fraud high on their agendas.

McGrath announced details of a bill he proposes for the 2007 Legislature that would place a "security freeze" on a consumer's personal information, restricting access to credit histories. That, in turn, would prohibit businesses from issuing credit in a consumer's name without that person's permission.

Morrison has an impressive track record in fighting insurance and securities fraud cases. At the AARP seminar, he shared heart-breaking stories of Montanans, mostly senior citizens, who lost their life savings through various investment scams.

One retired farming couple invested $425,0000 in a scheme that promised a 25-percent rate of return on their nest egg by putting it in an offshore account. By the time they called Morrison's office, they had nothing left.

It's easy to think that wouldn't happen to any of us, that we're too sharp to be taken in by a con artist. The sad truth is that any one of us is fair game for identity thieves and con artists if we're not armed with both the knowledge and resources it takes these days to keep the bad guys at bay.

Seniors are especially vulnerable because most were raised in an atmosphere of trust, when deals were made with a handshake and people largely could be taken at their word.

AARP is a good resource for seniors. State and federal agencies also stand ready to help. Here's one number to get you started - 1-877-382-4357. It will connect to the Federal Trade Commission's Consumer Response Center, where you can request consumer-fraud information.

And you've heard it before, but we'll say it again. If it sounds too good to be true, it usually is.