College students have enough to juggle when
it comes to school, work and their social life and fighting fraud often doesn’t
make the list of priorities. Because college students are so susceptible to
identity theft, Better Business Bureau recommends that they take seven simple
steps to protect themselves on campus.
According to the 2010 Identity Fraud Survey
Report released by Javelin Strategy and Research, more than 11 million people
became victims of identity theft in 2009. Young adults aged 18-24 took the
longest to detect identity theft—132 days on average—when compared to other age
groups. Subsequently the average cost ($1,156) was roughly five times more than
amount lost by other age groups.
“Identity thieves don’t care if you’re a
struggling student and don’t have a penny to your name; sometimes all they want
is to exploit your clean credit record,” said Sheryl Bilbrey, San Diego BBB
President/CEO. “Young adults that establish good habits for monitoring and
detecting fraud are laying a path that will help create a healthy financial
road for the rest of their lives.”
BBB recommends that college-bound students take
the following seven steps to fight identity theft on campus:
- School
mailboxes are not always secure and can often be easily accessed in a dorm
or apartment. To combat sticky fingers in the mailroom, have sensitive
mail sent to a permanent address such as the parents’ home or a PO Box.
- Important
documents should be stored under lock and key—such as in a filing cabinet.
This includes social security card, passport and bank and credit card
statements. Shred any paper documents that have sensitive financial
information rather than just tossing them out. Also shred any credit card
offers that come in the mail.
- Never
loan your credit or debit card to anyone, even if they are a friend. Also
just say no if your friend wants you to cosign for a loan or financing for
items like a TV.
- Make
sure your computer has up-to-date antivirus and spyware software. Always
install any updates and patches to your computer’s operating system or
browser software which help keep your computer safe from any new advances
by identity thieves online.
- Always
check your credit or debit card statements closely for any suspicious
activity. The sooner you identify any potential fraud, the less you’ll
suffer in the long run.
- When
shopping on unfamiliar web sites, always check the company out first with
BBB online. Also look for the BBB Accredited Business seal along with
other trust seals; click on the seals to confirm that they are legitimate.
- Check
your credit report at least once a year with all three reporting bureaus for
any suspicious activity or inaccuracies. You can do this for free by visiting www.annualcreditreport.com.