2008 Woodie Awards
Vote Absentee
Students: Don't fall victim to identity theft
By: MCT
Issue date: 8/28/07 Section: Campus
- Page 1 of 1
Q: What's 10 feet tall, bullet proof, has great earning potential and spills its guts on the Internet?
A: The typical college student.
While their actual paychecks remain to be seen, many students likely have no problem being pegged as both open and invulnerable. Unfortunately, that otherwise healthy attitude could wreak havoc with their finances, according to Todd Davis, a specialist in identity-theft risk management and founder of LifeLock, the nation's first identity-theft prevention service.
Identity theft has risen steadily over the past seven years in the United States, and college students represented one in three victims last year, Davis said.This comes as no surprise, given how often they're asked for their Social Security number, "the key to the kingdom" when it comes to infiltrating a person's privacy.
"College students are really out there because they have to give it to the financial office, the health service, if they apply for employment," he said.
There's no way around that, but students can take steps to keep the number, or other aspects of their identity, from being stolen.
The danger: Credit card companies inundate students with offers of pre-approved cards. Thieves then target a campus' communal mailboxes, grab up a bunch and say, "Yes, I'd like to take advantage of this offer, but I have a new address." The ready-to-use card then gets sent to the thief's home and the victim won't know a card has been issued in their name until a collection agency comes after them.
A: The typical college student.
While their actual paychecks remain to be seen, many students likely have no problem being pegged as both open and invulnerable. Unfortunately, that otherwise healthy attitude could wreak havoc with their finances, according to Todd Davis, a specialist in identity-theft risk management and founder of LifeLock, the nation's first identity-theft prevention service.
Identity theft has risen steadily over the past seven years in the United States, and college students represented one in three victims last year, Davis said.This comes as no surprise, given how often they're asked for their Social Security number, "the key to the kingdom" when it comes to infiltrating a person's privacy.
"College students are really out there because they have to give it to the financial office, the health service, if they apply for employment," he said.
There's no way around that, but students can take steps to keep the number, or other aspects of their identity, from being stolen.
The danger: Credit card companies inundate students with offers of pre-approved cards. Thieves then target a campus' communal mailboxes, grab up a bunch and say, "Yes, I'd like to take advantage of this offer, but I have a new address." The ready-to-use card then gets sent to the thief's home and the victim won't know a card has been issued in their name until a collection agency comes after them.
Viewing Comments 1 - 1 of 1
Denise Richardson
posted 8/29/07 @ 9:48 AM EST
If students are not vigilant in protecting their credit identity, they will find more in their future than just a degree. Many of them will destroy their credit rating if they fall victim to an identity theft. (Continued…)
Post a Comment