Students entering or returning to college are prime targets for identity theft. One of the reason why they are such appealing candidates for identity theft is that they still have an unblemished credit record. Furthermore, it is unlikely that, during the academic year, the student is going to be making a major purchase. Therefore, there will not be any need to have a credit check. This gives the identity thief the luxury of time.

Here is one student who discovered that her personal data were compromised five years later:

“…My third day at college, I applied for several credit cards on campus. Five years later, I found out that all my personal information was posted on a Web site. I had cars bought in my name and credit accounts across the country. A college student who ran one of the credit card booths was responsible for posting my information. Even though I now have a new Social Security number, I constantly have to monitor my credit reports. I have had to explain all of this to employers who run background checks on me. Those free T-shirts wound up costing me $150,000!”"

link: College Students Prime Target For ID Theft

If your school still uses your social security number as a student identifier on campus, ask if there can be an alternative. With the number of security breaches at universities, some institutions are moving away from using the social security number as part of the code for student privileges. And throughout the school year, protect key pieces of personal data. With just your date of birth and social security number, an identity thief has all the necessary information to begin using your name. Even as a student, with a meager income and no major purchases, check your credit report regularly. It’s free - and a good routine to protect your good name.

Catherine Forsythe
Director of Operations
FlyingHamster: http://flyinghamster.com/

Tags: students, identity theft, social security number, date of birth, credit report, security, free