Your neighbor takes a box of shredded paper out to the trashcan each week. Grades posted in universities around the country no longer list students' Social Security numbers. Many store receipts no longer bear entire credit card numbers.

Paranoia? Not quite. Thousands of people each year peruse their credit card statements and discover charges for merchandise they didn't buy. Thousands of others find that identity thieves have opened unauthorized credit accounts in their names. All it takes is a copy of your credit card number or just your name and Social Security number.

Identity theft, or account takeover fraud, is the fastest growing type of fraud. According to MasterCard International, account takeover fraud has increased by 369% since 1995. And criminals continue to find new ways to steal victims' identities so they can take over their credit accounts, making the problem difficult to combat.

In an effort to stem this growing form of crime, Congress has targeted businesses that sell Social Security numbers on the Internet, which makes identity theft much easier.

One bill is sponsored by Sen. Judd Gregg and is dubbed the "Amy Boyer Law." Boyer, of New Hampshire, was killed by a stalker who bought her Social Security number on the Internet and used it to get more of her personal information.

Gregg's bill (S 2554) aims to prohibit the public display of people's Social Security numbers without their consent. However, it exempts professional and commercial users that use the numbers in the normal course of business. This exemption still allows companies to track down people's Social Security numbers, which are posted at the tops of documents such as credit reports, and sell them. It does impose punishments on those who use someone's Social Security number for harm or identity theft. The bill is expected to be up for a vote in mid-September.

Other proposals include HR 4857, a bill by Rep. E. Clay Shaw Jr. that would require credit reporting agencies to take Social Security numbers off the header areas of credit reports, which information brokers often use. It also would limit the government's ability to release information about people's Social Security numbers and would require the Federal Trade Commission to regulate sales of Social Security numbers. That bill also is expected to be further considered when Congress reconvenes this fall.

Until Congress acts, there are some ways that you can help protect your identity. Guard your credit card numbers carefully and report any inaccuracies on your credit card statement immediately. Check your credit report at least once a year. It's also a good idea to check a copy of your Social Security Earnings and Benefits statements. In 1999, the Social Security Administration began sending a new, redesigned Social Security Statement automatically to workers age 25 or older who were not yet getting Social Security benefits. It usually arrives about 3 months before your birthday. If you would like to get an updated statement, you can request one on the Social Security Administration's website at www.ssa.gov.