Sunday, September 24, 2006

Parents Need to Educate Students about Identity Theft

Parents, make sure you discus the topic of identity theft with your college student.

Students need to understand how to protect themselves from falling victim to identity theft and information fraud. Identity thieves often know their victims; either directly or indirectly.

Thieves might be acquaintances, siblings of friends, classmates, co-workers, current or ex-boy/girlfriends, etc. Names, addresses, birthdates, social security numbers, account numbers, and other personal data are valuable commodities on the underground market.

An ex-boy/girl friend could easily possess all of this info. In fact, he/she might even know inside information such as passwords, PIN number, mother’s maiden name, etc.In upcoming entries, we will post tips to relay to your college student, on how they can reduce their risk of being victimized by indentity theft.