Protect yourself

WARWICK — Online Identity theft, including the increase in the targeting of children and seniors, is growing faster than ever.

That’s a message that, according to Warwick resident Bob Baier (pronounced buyer), needs to be brought to everyone’s attention.

Baier is a forensic document examiner who testifies in court regarding forgeries and trains law enforcement in Orange County in seven different areas, one of which is identity theft.

He is also the author of “Identity Theft Prevention for the College Student,” a publication that offers practical and useful tips that everyone, especially students living away from home, should follow to stay safe.

During Protect Your Identity Week, Oct. 20 through 27, sponsored by the National Federation for Credit Counseling, many organizations throughout the country offered free document shredding, cell phone recycling, workshops, credit report review and information on how to keep your private information secure.

Baier explained that every Web site you visit, every image you download and every e-mail you send are all connected to your IP address and can be an open invitation for identity thieves to invade your privacy.

The theme this year’s Protect Your Identity Week is “ID Theft protection on the go.” Baier cautions that because smart phones outsold computers last year, the majority of people do not use password protection on these portable devices and they become complacent.

But since there is often a great deal of personal and financial information stored, password protection is a must.

Inexpensive programs are also available that allow users to create hyper-encrypted pictures of driver’s licenses, credit cards, insurance and hospital cards or any sensitive information that can get lost.

Essential information

In “Identity Theft Prevention for the College Student,” Baier explains the seven most important things you need to know to prevent Identity Theft. The information is especially helpful for college freshmen.

To receive a free 30-day program sheet outlining what should be done to help keep you safe from identity theft, the FBI latest scams, what to do if you become a victim or to order a copy of Baier’s book go to www.bobbaierinfo.com and click on Identity Theft.