Just like those credit card company representatives that promise students free t-shirts and other garb when signing them up for accounts they will later not be able to repay, many identity thieves look forward to this time of year – the start of a new college semester. This is the time when students will sign up for brand new school sponsored email accounts and flood college libraries all over the country that have sat mostly empty for a lot of the summer.
These two activities lead to lots of personal information flooding the electronic airwaves, and being left to sit on unsecured computers, either in libraries or in dorm rooms or shared apartments – that is if the students don’t make the effort they need to to keep their personal information from becoming public knowledge.
Consider also that most students usually bring with them good or new credit and are inundated with those pre-approved credit offers from the second they enter their educational institution. Add to that the fact that their lack of experience in monitoring their credit and personal details can sometimes leave them somewhat exposed and you can see how they can become a prime target of identity thieves or their new roommate who is in need of a quick buck. Read more about this in our article – College Students – Do they need Identity Protection?
So what can you do. First of all, have a talk about identity theft with your student to be and make them aware of the dangers. Share with them these quick yet effective identity theft tips. They can help everyone from the graduating senior to the incoming freshman, and may even help you:
1. Don’t conduct financial transactions, manage bank accounts or input personal information using the library or shared computers of any type for any reason. You never know who will use the computer you abandon next, or who will hack into the university’s network.
2. Log off of public computers after using them, whether it is a computer in the lab or one in a shared dorm room or apartment. Even if the computer doesn’t contain bank information or Social Security numbers, you still need to keep your log in information and passwords from prying eyes.
3. Keep personal details, such as your phone number and address, off of Facebook and other social networking sites. Putting settings so that “only friends†can see your details doesn’t really do a lot. It’s pretty easy for those with technical know how to hack into any account on these networks.
4. Password protect your cell phone and laptop. Use a password that is at least six digits long and has special characters, numbers and letters in it, if this is at all possible. Never use personal information, like your birth date or year, as your password. Change passwords frequently and use a different one for each device.
5. Look for a popup window that asks if you’d like to save your password when you log into accounts on the computer. Never check this box, even if you are the only one that uses the computer. That way the password isn’t stored.
6. Download the latest updates for your anti-virus software as soon as they become available. This will help to keep your machine virus free and protect it from the newest versions of malware and spyware. Be sure your software is made by a reputable company before installing it.
7. Don’t trust your new roommate until you know you can trust your roommate. At least keep your personally identifiable information secure from them.
8. Consider an identity theft protection service. There are plans available that even those subsisting on ramen noodles, kraft dinner and water can afford. Many are only about a quarter per day. An identity protection plan is exponentially better than having no protection. Just ask the millions of Americans, including more than a few college students, who have their identities stolen each year.
Take some time to compare identity theft protection services today.