7 ways to prevent campus identity theft


New York-based business analyst John Reiley shares 7 tips for preventing student identity theft

student-identity-theftAs college students head back to college or prepare for their first semester as a college student, their primary concerns revolve around financial aid, buying books, making it to class, finding a job, and juggling everything that comes with college life.

What most of these students aren’t thinking about is identity theft. Most students think identity theft is something that happens to older people and those with big bank accounts and successful lives.

They wonder why anyone would even want to steal their identity- the answer simply is that anyone and everyone can fall victim to identity theft, and it is that lack of concern that makes college students at particular risk.

What is Identity Theft?

Identity theft, which is basically stealing someone’s financial and personal information for personal gain,is considered to be the fastest growing crimes in the United States. In the US, identity theft costs people around $5 billion annually. Personal information such as Social Security numbers, birth dates, address, and bank information are what is needed for someone to steal a person’s identity.

Once personal information has been stolen, the thief will use your identity to open bank accounts, hack into your own bank, take out lines of credit and loans in your name and run up other expenses. According to the NAIC around 675,000 identity theft complaints were filed with the Federal Trade Commission a few years ago and of those cases, as much as 30 percent were filed by young adults ranging in ages from 18 to 24.

(Next page: 7 helpful tips to protect your identity)

A good antivirus and security system

College students are more at risk because of their general care free and relaxed approach to life. They feel like they are invincible, nothing can touch them. It is this relaxed approach and lack of attention that makes them prime targets for identity thieves. The lack of attention and concern is a major issue students need to work on so they can reduce the chances of becoming a victim of fraud.

Students also need to add one more piece of important protect to their arsenal as they head back to classes, a good antivirus like Immunet. The younger generation today does so much online and in social media that they do not realize how exposed they are to thieves. Getting a good virus protection program and practicing smart web practices can go a long way in keeping them safe. Even a basic antivirus security system is better than nothing, though of c ourse the better the protection the better the end results usually are.

Tips for Preventing Identity Theft

Identity thieves can quickly destroy the good credit you have and the damage they cause can take years to unravel. To reduce your risk of becoming a victim these simple tips should accompany every college student as they head back to classes:

1. Protect your SSN, do not carry your cards with you and use your SSN only when absolutely necessary.

2. Protect your PIN and other bank account and financial information- do not write your PIN on your debit card, do not sign checks until you are at the bank, and keep all important documents.

3. Collect mail promptly each day and if you are going to be gone for more than a few days, have someone you trust collect the mail for you or have the post office hold your mail until you return- a mailbox stuffed full is a gold mine for identity thieves.

4. Keep your receipts so you can compare everything to your monthly statements and look for unfamiliar transactions and activity.

5. Tear up and properly dispose of important papers that you no longer want or need, and be especially careful with information that has your personal and financial information on them.

6. Store personal information where it is safe and where snooping eyes cannot see it.

7. Check your credit report often so you can know right away when something is off or if any fraudulent activity is going on.

Most students think identity theft is something that happens to older people and those with big bank accounts and successful lives. Anyone and everyone can fall victim to identity theft, and it is that lack of concern that makes college students at particular risk.

John Reiley is a senior business analyst currently residing in NYC. He has been helping business owners plan their strategy for success since 2005. He can be reached on GooglePlus.

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