According to some Identity Theft is "exploding" across the country and others call ID Theft an epidemic.  Identity theft happens when someone uses your Social Security number or other personal information to open new accounts, make purchases, or get a tax refund. Wilkes County is not immune to Identity thieves.  This week the Wilkes Sheriff's Office received two reports of ID Theft from a local resident.  The first victim, who lives in Boomer, said they noticed that someone had been using their Social Security Number to apply for a mortgage and several retail store credit cards.  The second victim, who lives in North Wilkesboro,  stated that they discovered the fraud when applying for a loan to buy a house.  A copy of their credit report revealed the ID Theft.  The suspect used the victim's maiden name and Social Security Number to get power from 2006 to 2010.  No names of suspects were listed with the reports; the investigations are ongoing.  While identity theft can happen to anyone, there are some things you can do to reduce your risk. If you think someone is using your personal information to open accounts, file taxes, or make purchases, visit IdentityTheft.gov to report and recover from identity theft.