The last person you would think of having their identity stolen is a college student.
But that’s exactly who identity thieves target. Here are the reasons why.

• Nearly 49% of college students receive applications for credit cards on a daily or weekly basis.
• 30% of all students simply throw away received applications without destroying them.
• Almost 48% of all college students have had grades posted ‘anonymously’ by Social Security number.
• Approximately 30% of students rarely, if ever, balance their checking accounts or reconcile their credit cards statements.

Learn how to protect yourself from becoming a victim.
With nearly 700,000 new victims each year, you can bet you’re a target. These simple steps could save you from becoming a victim of ID theft:

• Shred all credit card offers.
• Shred all pre-printed checks that come with your credit card statements that you aren’t planning to use.
• Monitor your credit card bills, credit union/bank and investment statements closely. Use these to balance your checkbook and reconcile your credit card statement.
• Don’t leave mail or personal financial records lying around your apartment or dorm room.
• Keep your Social Security number as private as possible. Request a randomly-generated student ID number instead.