College Students and Identity Theft

You’d like to think your college freshman is one of a kind. But did you know that it’s possible for someone to steal their identity by using personal information like their social security number (SSN)? Armed with this information, identity thieves can apply for credit, borrow money and run up debt -- in your child’s name!

College students are among the most likely identity theft victims. They are also the least able to afford it. The costs and effort in recovering and returning a stolen identity can add up quickly. And the damage to a credit report can be hard to undo.

It’s a problem more people are facing each year. A growing number of these incidents are happening on college campuses. Thieves find that college students, who are often disorganized and dealing with financial paperwork for the first time, are perfect targets.

"Often, college students are more vulnerable to identity theft because colleges and universities use their social security number as their student ID number," says Jordana Beebe. She’s the communications director for the Privacy Rights Clearinghouse.

"The more the SSN is visible or used in general, the greater the risk for identity theft.

"Students should work with their administration to make sure that sensitive data that contains SSNs and other key pieces of personal information are well protected," says Beebe.

You should also remind your college student to keep any identification with their SSN in a safe place. They should only carry it when necessary.

Computers can also create opportunities for identity theft. "Many viruses today carry ‘keyloggers’ that can record your keystrokes as you enter passwords and other important information," says Nick Wagner, CEO of the organization Identity Theft Prevention and Survival.

"If you are using the Internet for online banking or to make purchases, it is very important to have a good firewall, anti-virus and spyware removal software."

So what can else students do to protect themselves? Beebe says students should be careful about what’s going in their garbage. "Shred any documents that contain personal information before putting them in the trash."

Another safety measure involves mailboxes. You might want to check to be sure that campus mailboxes can be locked.

Criminals can also steal someone’s identity over the phone. Nobody should ever give out personal information in phone conversations without confirming that the information is necessary.

"Give only minimum information," advises Beebe. "Question the need and purpose for the information. Ask how it will be used.

"If you are not satisfied with how your information is handled, take your business elsewhere."

You might think that much of our financial information is protected by passwords and PIN numbers. However, identity thieves can often guess this information because many people use predictable passwords that are easy to guess.

The website for the Privacy Rights Clearinghouse advises:

"When creating passwords and PINs (personal identification numbers), do not use the last four digits of your social security number, mother's maiden name, your birth date, middle name, pet's name, consecutive numbers or anything else that could easily be discovered by thieves. It's best to create passwords that combine letters and numbers."

But how would you find out whether your child is already a victim? One way to check is by ordering a credit report. A credit report gives a person’s credit history and shows things such as late payments and how much debt they carry.

"Students should order their credit report once a year. The Federal Trade Commission just launched the ability for consumers to get an annual free copy of their credit report," says Beebe. "Errors on a person's credit report are a sure sign of possible identity theft.

"If [a student] might be a victim of identity theft, for instance if they had recently lost their wallet that contains their SSN, they should put a fraud alert on their account with the three credit reporting bureaus."

Identity theft may sound scary, but taking a few simple steps can go a long way toward protecting everyone.