The Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency (PCCD) is urging consumers to take precaution to avoid identity theft while shopping this holiday season.

According to the PCCD Identity theft represents one of America's fastest growing crimes

"Identity theft can happen anytime and anywhere, and to any person," said PCCD Chairman Walter M. Phillips Jr. "Criminals can access your personal information including your bank, credit and debit card information from receipts and other items carried in a wallet or purse. We urge consumers, especially during this hectic holiday season, to visit PCCD's Identity Theft Action Plan Web site to learn how they can better protect themselves against this crime."

Locally, Sgt. Brandon Deppen, community service officer for the Warren City Police, believes protecting oneself from identity comes down to two things - "common sense and vigilance."

Although Deppen didn't have the statistics for identity theft in the city readily available, he said, "Yes, we do have a problem with identity theft in Warren...People need to understand that just because they live in a small town, does not protect them from becoming a victim."

In terms of using common sense to avoid identity theft, Deppen reminds people to remain cautious for the too-good-to-be-true situations.

"If an offer sounds too good to be true, it probably is. If someone tells you that you have won the Canadian Lottery and you have never bought a ticket and they want you to pay them first, it is a scam," he said.

Citing national information, Deppen said 8.4 million Americans become victims of identity theft totaling $49.3 billion in loses. On average, the victim loses $587 out of their pocket and about 40 hours of time to resolve the conflict.

The PCCD offered the following tips:

Do not carry all of your credit cards, Social Security card, passport and birth certificate all the time. Carry them only when needed.

Memorize important number such as Social Security, passwords and PIN numbers. Do not use date of birth, telephone number or last four digits of the Social Security number for a PIN numbers.

Write "Photo ID Required" next to signature on credit and debit cards.

Report all lost or stolen cards immediately.

Save credit receipts and match to the monthly statement.