A recent report by the Department of Education indicates that college students are at particularly high risk of identity theft because of pre-approved credit card offers, burglaries in dorms and inexperience in financial management.
Identity thieves use a variety of methods that make all college students vulnerable. Many identity thieves go through trash to collect documents with personal information; even trash from AU is sorted several times for recycling. Other personal information used to steal identities is stolen from laptops. Many AU students are lulled into a sense of security and stop locking the doors to their dorm rooms, inviting theft.
AU students also run the risk of having unscrupulous fellow students take advantage of the situation by using IDs they find to buy things at the Eagle's Nest or to eat at TDR. Most employees don't bother to check that the ID matches the person using it, so it can be easy to get away with.
It's easy for students to protect their identities by shredding documents, keeping tabs on their bank statements and credit reports, and not losing their IDs. The consequences of identity theft can be serious: ruined credit, lost money and possibly even the loss of a future job. You wouldn't leave your car unlocked, so take the time to protect your identity, too.
