For the over 17 million Americans the U.S. Justice Department estimates become victims of identity theft every year, Albert Lea Police Detective Ben Mortensen said he can’t be hugely helpful at tracking down their money. He’s tried.

After the fact, “I can’t do a lot,” he said.

Instead, he can show people how to clean up afterward. He will help people figure out how to close their accounts, check their credit and make sure they’re not in communication with the scammer.

Mortensen said he will also point people toward national databases where they can report what happened to them. While they may not hear back right away, the databases allow those working in identity theft to see trends and potentially link their case to someone arrested for identity theft.

According to Mortensen, identity theft happens across the demographic board. It occurs to people who grew up with the internet and people who were introduced to it.

However, what scams a person is targeted with could be tailored to their economic status. Mortensen said those with upper middle class incomes more frequently come in with claims that their loved ones are in a bind and need financial help getting out — for instance, in jail and in need of bail money. The easiest way to take care of this is to simply call the loved one in question and ask if the claim is true, Mortensen said.

For the unemployed or those on fixed income, he more often sees false contest wins.

“They are the ones that are being told that they’ve won $1 million,” he said. “And there are some people that don’t believe me when I tell them, ‘No, you didn’t win $1 million. You’re getting scammed.’”

This is also the demographic that more often gets hit with the scam Mortensen said he is seeing more of over the past year: Someone will receive a check in the mail with a request to cash it and send the money elsewhere, or to deposit it in their account and to share that account number.

“A lot of the stuff is coming out of Facebook, where they’re having Facebook friends who they don’t know,” he said.

And while tracking identity theft online is difficult, Mortensen said tracking identity theft committed in person has a big ally in the form of video surveillance and local retailers. There’s a group of retailers in the area who send out alerts about identity theft, and Mortensen said the police have responded to calls of retailers recognizing forgers from alerts.

If you are a victim of identity theft, the Minnesota State Attorney General’s Office recommends you:

Start dealing with it now.

Contact all three major credit bureaus — Equifax, Experian and TransUnion — immediately and place a fraud alert in your credit reports.

Contact your banks and creditors. Close all accounts that may have been accessed by an identity thief, and change account numbers for the rest.

If a bank asks you to complete and notarize a fraud affidavit, ask them to pay the notary fee. It is not required by law to provide a notarized fraud affidavit.

Report the crime to the Albert Lea Police Department. Keep a copy of incident reports. This record allows you to prove the crime to creditors and banks. The State Attorney General’s Office also encourages you to notify the Federal Bureau of Investigation, United States Secret Service and Federal Trade Commission. The FBI and Secret Service have field offices in Minnesota.

The Minnesota State Attorney General’s Office also offers recommendations for protecting yourself from identity theft.

Get off marketing lists. Get your name on the national “do not call” registry by calling 888-382-1222 on the number you wish to register.

Keep an eye on your paperwork. Review your credit card statements and phone bills.

Shred credit card offers. Pre-approved offers or credit card convenience checks can be used to cash checks or order credit cards in your name.

Check your credit. Once a year, order a free copy from Equifax, Experian or TransUnion. Consider cutting down on the number of cards you use frequently. The Minnesota State Attorney General’s Office recommends you carry just one or two credit cards.