You might think that identity thieves focus entirely on the wealthy, but the reality is that 34% of the victims of identity theft are college students. College students can be easy prey because they don't know how to protect themselves against identity theft, because so many records and documents include personal information about them, and because of the phenomenal amount of junk mail offers...especially from credit card companies...they receive.
Todd Davis, the CEO of LifeLock, the nation's first identity theft prevention service for consumers, offered us these tips for parents and college-bound students to help protect them from becoming victims of identity thieves.
1. Purchasing and using a shredder is a must. Shred everything which can identify you before discarding it. Everything...no exceptions.
2. Residence hall rooms and student apartments often have lots of folks in them, including some relative strangers. That's why it makes sense to password protect computer files and secure documents which include your personal information. Remember, it takes only one untrustworthy person to steal your identity and cause you years of trouble.
3. Students should request and review their credit reports each and every year. They can get one report a year at no cost, and identify any existing or potential credit-related problems they may have.
4. Even with increased awareness and security, colleges, lenders, school systems, and other institutions lose a significant number of student Social Security numbers and other pieces of information to potential thieves each and every year. That's why it's important to take steps to protect yourself if your identification is lost to thieves.
5. Reduce your junk mail. All of us have mailboxes jammed with offers for credit cards, instant credit, and merchandise. Opt out of these and other junk mail and pre-approved credit card offers. Identity thieves can steal these offers from your mailbox or trash (remember the shredder). Then, in a matter of minutes, they fill out those applications, change your address to theirs, and subsequently charge their purchases to you.
6. You can contact the major credit reporting services to initiate fraud alerts which means you will, at least in theory, be contacted before anyone is able to open a new account in your name. You must renew these alerts every 90 days, or you can hire a credit protection service to take care of it for you. Some such agencies will actually compensate you if anyone successfully steals your identity. One agency offers a guarantee of up to $1 million.
Identity thieves are frequently aggressive and clever, and they like to target college students for reasons we've already touched on. But, a few simple precautions and a little common sense can go a long way in protecting you from them.
Todd Davis, the CEO of LifeLock, the nation's first identity theft prevention service for consumers, offered us these tips for parents and college-bound students to help protect them from becoming victims of identity thieves.
1. Purchasing and using a shredder is a must. Shred everything which can identify you before discarding it. Everything...no exceptions.
2. Residence hall rooms and student apartments often have lots of folks in them, including some relative strangers. That's why it makes sense to password protect computer files and secure documents which include your personal information. Remember, it takes only one untrustworthy person to steal your identity and cause you years of trouble.
3. Students should request and review their credit reports each and every year. They can get one report a year at no cost, and identify any existing or potential credit-related problems they may have.
4. Even with increased awareness and security, colleges, lenders, school systems, and other institutions lose a significant number of student Social Security numbers and other pieces of information to potential thieves each and every year. That's why it's important to take steps to protect yourself if your identification is lost to thieves.
5. Reduce your junk mail. All of us have mailboxes jammed with offers for credit cards, instant credit, and merchandise. Opt out of these and other junk mail and pre-approved credit card offers. Identity thieves can steal these offers from your mailbox or trash (remember the shredder). Then, in a matter of minutes, they fill out those applications, change your address to theirs, and subsequently charge their purchases to you.
6. You can contact the major credit reporting services to initiate fraud alerts which means you will, at least in theory, be contacted before anyone is able to open a new account in your name. You must renew these alerts every 90 days, or you can hire a credit protection service to take care of it for you. Some such agencies will actually compensate you if anyone successfully steals your identity. One agency offers a guarantee of up to $1 million.
Identity thieves are frequently aggressive and clever, and they like to target college students for reasons we've already touched on. But, a few simple precautions and a little common sense can go a long way in protecting you from them.
About the Author:
Daniel Z. Kane is a university dean who advises students on online college degree programs and online degree programs.
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