Bankrate released a common sense list of things you can do while on campus to reduce the risk of identify theft. I think the most interested part of the article is:
College students face about the same risk of having their identity stolen as the average person -- roughly one in 30.
I knew this was happening to people but 1 in 30 is far more than I suspected. People have to be simply ignoring these tips. I will resist the urge for a lecture - you know what you have to do. If you are already secure, make sure your family is. Most of these tips will apply to anyone -- even your 90-year old grandmother that has never heard of identity theft (hint, hint).
- Guard your mail.
- Use U.S. Postal mailbox for outgoing mail.
- Opt out of preapproved credit card offers.
- Deep-six the junk mail.
- Limit number of credit or debit cards
- Find a safe place for valuables.
- Keep financial papers private.
- Act quickly.
- If SSN is student ID number, request a change.
- Get your credit report regularly.
- When you're out, keep your purse or wallet close.
- Safeguard your computer.
- Be cautious with public computers.
- Be smart about sharing personal info on the Web.
- Look for security when you buy online.
- Beware of phishing scams.
- Protect your PIN.
To read the commentary from Bankrate, here is the story.
