We are having our personal bank information, account passwords and credit card numbers stolen at a greater rate than ever before. New Mexico ranks 10th in the country in terms of our rate of identity theft, and more than 8 million cases were reported last year nationwide. June is National Internet Safety Month, and there has never been a better time than now for consumers to be thinking about how we can stay safe online.

More and more people are falling victim to the crime of identity theft via the Internet. According to the Federal Trade Commission, one in eight Americans have had their identities stolen this way in the past five years. Criminals use Web-based tools to spy on consumers' activities, tracking the Web sites they visit and the information they disclose.

E-mail scams also are on the rise. You may receive an e-mail seemingly from your bank or credit card company asking you to verify your account information for security purposes. Thousands of people a year comply with this request nationwide, only later to discover

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their bank account emptied or their credit card maxed out.

Also on the rise is identity theft through wireless personal digital assistants, or PDAs, and handheld devices. Sensitive information often is passed through these types of devices, which are equipped with Internet access and are just as susceptible to mischief as a regular computer. Not only can hackers tap into these devices online, but cell phones and PDAs are easy targets for pickpocket thieves and "shoulder surfing" — meaning any curious person can look over your shoulder and see what information you're typing on your handheld device. And with prolific cell phone use in today's world, we're often lax about information shared over the phone in public places.

The Internet and advances in handheld technology are wonderful tools that allow us constant access to a wide variety of services, but as online activities become a greater part of our everyday lives, it is important we take steps to protect ourselves.

Make sure you add a password to all bank and credit card acc-ounts. Try to avoid using easily obtainable information, such as your mother's maiden name, as a password. Be original and mix together numbers and letters. Try to vary the passwords you use, and always be sure to keep them private.

Never send financial information via e-mail, and avoid opening e-mails from unknown senders. Financial institutions very rarely ask for information via e-mail, and it always pays to double check anything over the phone, where you can be more sure of who you communicating with.

When making purchases online be sure to only use secure connections. You can recognize a secure connection by looking for Web sites that have addresses beginning "https" and a small padlock icon at the bottom of the page.

Purchase virus protection software for your computer, and install a firewall program that will prevent others from hacking into your computer system. Keep all virus protection and firewall software updated for maximum protection.

Be cognizant of the types of conversations you're having on your cell phone in public places. You never know who is listening.

The best way for us to fight this new wave of crime is to raise awareness. Be sure your friends and family are practicing safety on the Internet, but also be aware of your own accounts and activities. Checking your credit report every year will enable you to be conscious of what accounts exist in your name, and is one of the best ways to check for fraudulent activity.

Increasingly, our lives revolve around the Internet but we must work to decrease the cases of identity theft in our state. Be conscious, be safe and be secure online.

Katie Hutchinson, of Phoenix, is the executive director of Coalition for a Connected West.