SALT LAKE CITY -- The state attorney general's office introduced a new identity theft reporting system Monday that it says will cut down on the amount of time victims spend proving their identity has been stolen.

Victims of identity theft can access the system at www.idtheft.utah.gov, which shows victims how to file a complaint that will be sent to the proper law enforcement agencies.

The introduction of the reporting system is part of a broader effort the state is making to reduce the impact of identity theft. The Legislature passed several laws this session to protect consumers from identity theft and make it easier to freeze credit reports.

The identity theft reporting system is the culmination of several years of work by a task force of prosecutors, bankers, legislators and credit card companies, among others, to find ways to fight the problem.

Identity theft victims spend an average of 600 hours and $1,400 trying to recover from the crime. That's more than 300 percent more time and 185 percent more money than three years ago, the attorney general's office said.

"This cuts down on the amount of time the victim has to spend convincing the world (he or she) has been a victim of identity theft," said Chief Deputy Attorney General Kirk Torgensen. "This is going to streamline that and make it much more easy to establish."

Law enforcement officials will also use the theft reporting system to track trends across jurisdictional lines. Torgensen said there's no central reporting system in place now, which makes it difficult to gauge what he said is one of the fastest-growing crimes in the country.

"Four or five years ago it seemed most of your crooks realized it's much easier and less dangerous way of committing a crime than robbing a bank. It has just skyrocketed," he said.

Illustrating the point, a Salt Lake City woman was sentenced to nearly six years in federal prison after pleading guilty to bank fraud and aggravated identity fraud after law enforcement officers found her with numerous fraudulent documents.

Helen Zola Carter allowed officers to search her home in March 2005 in a methamphetamine investigation. They found Social Security numbers that did not belong to her, 14 fraudulent identification cards and 25 credit cards and other bank-related information.

Torgensen said Utah's identity theft laws are leading the nation in many respects, but there's still plenty of work to be done.

"There's still a lot of holes to be plugged," he said. "Each year we find areas where Social Security numbers are still on documents where they don't need to be. ... It's an ongoing struggle, but I think we're doing well."

On the Net:

Identity theft reporting system www.idtheft.utah.gov

This story appeared in The Daily Herald on page A1.