Why College Students Are at High Risk of Identity Theft

Why College Students Are at High Risk of Identity Theft
By Steve Weisman, Financial Times Press, Oct 3, 2013.

College students are five times more likely to be a victim of identity theft than the general public. Identify theft expert Steve Weisman discusses why students are vulnerable and what they can do to protect themselves.

College students studying Shakespeare can most likely tell you that the following quote comes from Othello:  “Who steals my purse steals trash; ‘tis something, nothing; but he that filches from me my good name robs me of that which not enriches him and make me poor indeed.” But Shakespeare only had it half right. Identity theft can make you poor indeed, but it also can enrich the identity thief.

And college students are identity theft’s most common victims.  They are five times more likely to be a victim of identity theft than the general public.

The reason for their vulnerability is twofold.  They live in close quarters and they do not take enough precautions.

Identity theft can result in your bank accounts and brokerage accounts being looted; being hounded by a debt collector for a debt that you did not incur; becoming unable to access your own credit cards, bank or brokerage accounts; being arrested for crimes committed by people who have stolen your identity; or even receiving improper medical care because your medical records have been corrupted by an identity thief who stole access to your medical insurance.  It can also ruin your credit rating which can, in turn, affect your ability to rent an apartment or get a loan, a job, and insurance.

So where are  college students vulnerable? Read rest of the article:  http://www.ftpress.com/articles/article.aspx?p=2141481


Identity Theft Statistics: Why You Should Be Alarmed
By Naomi Mannino July 31, 2014

Fraudsters are getting wiser and have more tools at their disposal to steal personal identities. Someone could be using your private data right now – your Social Security number and tidbits about you from social media sites – to sign up for a credit card under your name. Worse, they could be using this information to hack into your bank accounts.

Unfortunately, identity theft has become more common in recent years and may not abate if consumers don’t take steps to protect themselves. Through various surveys, CreditDonkey.com has found consumers continue to make mistakes, such as openly sharing critical passwords with outsiders, which put them at undue risk for identity theft.

We've gathered the most current statistics, news, and resources about all too frequent Internet scams and stolen security codes..... Read more about Identity Theft Protection