Honolulu resident Linda Elder is contacting credit bureaus to get off mailing lists sold to companies after becoming worried that identity thieves could steal pre-approved credit-card offers from her mailbox.

"These credit card companies are inviting ID theft by sending them in the mail," said Elder, 51. "A lot of people just consider it junk mail and toss it."

Elder and other Hawai'i residents are increasingly considering so-called "opt-out" programs where they inform credit bureaus, card companies and others that they no longer wish to receive the unsolicited offers because of a surge in identity theft.

A state task force recently reported mail theft complaints jumped an estimated 35 percent last year and that "Dumpster diving," or obtaining sensitive personal information by combing through trash, plays a big role in ID theft.

A credit card company, for example, could ask a bureau for a list of people making more than $50,000 annually and having a credit score that's equal or better than the mean credit score for Honolulu residents. They could then use it to mail offers out.

Problems develop when the offers are retrieved from the trash or mail is stolen. Thus, some people are choosing to opt out.

"I uniformly do that when I have the opportunity," said Konrad Hayashi, a Honolulu public health physician who was a victim of identity theft several years ago when someone re-opened a suspended wireless telephone account while he was serving in Iraq and Kuwait.

Hayashi said making sure he's not on such lists takes work, but that it's worth it. He would like to see legislation requiring companies to offer "opt-ins" to consumers, allowing them to choose whether they are on such lists.

For now, people can cut the number of pre-approved credit and insurance offers by opting out. The major credit bureaus have set up a Web site and a toll-free number for people wanting off the mailing lists (see box).

They can choose to be left off the list for five years or permanently. Bureaus involved in the project include Experian, Equifax, TransUnion and Innovis.

"This would handle everything," said TransUnion spokesman Steven Katz. It "would get you off any lists coming from these bureaus."

Several experts also recommend sending an opt-out letter to the Direct Marketing Association, a leading group representing direct-mail marketers. The association counts some credit bureaus among its 4,800 members.

In both instances, people say it will take several months for the offers to stop because your name may still be on an older list.

Consumers also can opt out by contacting companies directly. Last year, the Federal Trade Commission began requiring firms sending pre-screened or pre-approved solicitations to include information about being taken off the list for future offers.

First Hawaiian Bank, the state's largest credit card issuer, has long allowed people to stop receiving promotional offers. That includes receiving "convenience checks" sent to credit-card holders once a year. Convenience checks have the appearance of normal bank checks but are linked to credit accounts. The checks can be used at stores that don't accept cards, or for getting cash or transferring balances.

Curt Otaguro, senior vice president of the bank's card services division, said there haven't been a significant number of calls asking to be taken off the list for checks, and that the bank also hears from people who want more of them.

Honolulu police Lt. Jeff Richards learned about getting off of mailing lists after thieves took convenience checks from his mailbox while he was on vacation.

He discovered $2,000 worth of checks had been cashed and that a cell phone was purchased when his credit card statement arrived.

Richards notified the credit card issuer that he no longer wished to receive the checks. He also subscribes to a service so he can monitor credit reports.

Checking your credit report at least annually is recommended. Reports can be obtained by requesting them from www.annualcreditreport.com or calling (877) 322-8228. Such requests don't affect your credit score, said Craig Watts, spokesman for Minneapolis-based Fair Isaac Corp., which came up with the scoring formula for credit bureaus.

Three years ago, Elder became alarmed about receiving the unsolicited blank checks. She called the companies and hasn't received anything since.

"I always got paranoid every time I got them," Elder said. "What if they wound up in the wrong P.O. box? You never know whose hands it might wind up in."

Reach Greg Wiles at gwiles@honoluluadvertiser.com.