Protecting Your College Student From Identity Theft

This is being Reposted from Paul Quinn’s “Farmers Cares” blog site –

Going off to college is life changing in itself but having your identify stolen at the same time could make this life transition a costly one. No student wants to start college with thousands of dollars of unauthorized debt and a wrecked credit rating because of identity theft, but college
students may be more vulnerable to identity theft because of the availability of personal information and the way many students handle this data. The National Association of Insurance Commissioners recommends the following steps to ensure your college student does not become a victim:

• Avoid carrying your Social Security number and driver’s license together in your wallet.
• If the school uses your Social Security number for your student I.D., request an assigned number.
• Request that your Social Security number not be used to publicly post grades.
• Shred pre-approved credit card offers and bills before disposing of them.
• Avoid putting outgoing mail in unsecured campus mailboxes. Instead, deposit outgoing mail directly in U.S. Postal Service mailboxes.
• Do not shop online or pay bills on a public computer.
• Be suspicious of solicitors. You should never give personal financial information or your Social Security number to anyone unless they have good reason for needing it.
• Limit the amount of information you place online. Whether on a university directory or a social networking site like MySpace or Facebook, remember that anyone can read what you post. Don’t make personal identifying information public.

You may also go to the Farmers Identity Shield web site for more information and tips from Farmers Insurance regarding identity theft. So, hopefully your college student is enjoying the beginning of the school year but at the same time, keeping his or her identity safe.

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