By Donna Gehrke-White

With South Florida once again leading the nation in identity theft, residents have to be more careful, a Broward Sheriff's Office representative said.

Bands of thieves are now looking to steal identities for quick cash, said BSO Sgt. Jay Leiner.

“When the economy goes down, identity theft goes up,” Leiner said.

He gave five tips on how to help protect yourself from identity theft:

Don't keep your Social Security card in your wallet and don’t give out your number unless you absolutely have to.

Walk away or hang up on sales people who say they need a Social Security number to process an order or deliver a service.

Keep your purse and wallet with you at all times -- don't leave it in a car, store or other public outlet where thieves can pick it up to steal your identity.

Realize you may be a target. Elderly people are especially preyed on "because they are so trusting," Leiner said. "They have a tendency to give out information."

Be careful of websites -- make sure they are part of legitimate businesses. "The computer opened new areas for fraud," Leiner said. "The sky is the limit."