Students must protect against identity theft

By: Editorial Board

Posted: 11/18/08

Students need to take extra precautions to prevent identity theft. With millions of spam e-mails "phishing" for information, and scam deals on the Internet, simply getting caught off guard and clicking on something can ruin college students' credit and cause them to lose money.

UConn students, especially, should be thankful that university administrators and public safety officials have sent many e-mails about identity theft and held workshops on how to protect your identity last month. There are also guides to protecting your identity on the UConn Police Web site.

The fact is, your identity can be stolen in several ways and for several reasons.

"Identity theft occurs when someone uses your personally identifying information, like your name, Social Security number, or credit card number, without your permission, to commit fraud or other crimes," according to the UConn Police Web site.

It's common knowledge that when you lose your wallet, you should cancel your credit cards so no one can go on a spending spree. At the same time, you should also keep an eye out for anyone who may be using your information to obtain new credit cards in your name.

Identities can be stolen, not only from losing a wallet or replying to a spam e-mail, but also from laptop theft. A few weeks ago the university sent an e-mail telling students that a number of laptops had been stolen from dorm rooms recently. It warned that most were taken from unlocked rooms.

The university also noted that laptops often have a lot of personal information in them, a point that many students may not have considered. Having a laptop stolen doesn't just mean losing the $1,000 or $2,000 you spent on it - it's potentially giving away your Social Security number, banking information, credit card information and access to your e-mail and other personal accounts.

Having your identity stolen is a scary experience, especially for a college student. College students don't have full-time jobs yet. They still have classes and graduation to worry about. Once they graduate, many have loans to pay off, and will need credit to take out loans for new cars and homes as well as other necessities. Having credit problems this early will really hurt students' futures. While many credit card companies have systems in place to protect credit in case of identity theft, all the hassle that comes from having your wallet or laptop stolen can be emotionally and physically draining. It's much better to just take the extra precautions, and the university has shown commendable concern for its students by educating them on this subject.