Protecting Your Identity at College

By Mary Lukow, Assistant Manager, Chebanse Facility

Young adults make up the largest percentage of the population affected by identity theft. College students are especially vulnerable because many do not understand the importance of keeping their personal information and documents safe. According to the U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC), 29% of identity theft victims are between the ages of 18 and 29.

College students are more connected to their friends and the world through devices like smartphones, tablets and laptops than any generation before, and every day they text, ‘like’, ‘tweet’, and ‘share’. As long as they use common sense and take a few precautions, their online world can be a safer one. Here are eight tips for online safety:

1. The internet is forever; think about future employers, including those coveted summer internships.
2. Don’t add your address to your Facebook, Twitter, etc. profiles.
3. Don’t broadcast your location; checking-in is fine, just do it sparingly.
4. Don’t “friend” people you don’t know.
5. Guard your Social Security number. Always. It’s like a winning lottery ticket for a scammer, fraudster or identity thief.
6. Don’t use the same password everywhere. Consider using an “all-in-one” password manager.
7. Beware of emails phishing for personal information. Never give credit card info, usernames, passwords or other personal info.
8. Be Wi-Fi savvy and safe. Free Wi-Fi comes at the cost of security. Unsecured networks are gold mines for identity thieves.

While students are probably never going to give up their social accounts, they should exercise caution when posting sensitive information, like their location or birthdate, and when joining the Wi-Fi networks at school or in the local coffee shop.

Remember, identity theft victims can spend a significant amount of time trying to repair their credit reports and reputations. It can take months or even years to restore their good names. As a result, students can miss out on job opportunities and/or be denied loans for mortgages, cars, and education.

Here are some additional online resources for students:

FTC identity theft page: https://www.ftc.gov/bcp/edu/microsites/idtheft/

Identity Theft Resource Center: www.idtheftcenter.org

U.S. Department of Education “Reduce Your Risk” page: https://www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/oig/misused/reduce.html