Dear Action Line: College-bound students should be warned that not all identity thieves call from the Far East - many are the kids down the hall.
"College students need to guard their personal information," said Rick Brinkley, chief operating officer of the Tulsa Better Business Bureau, serving eastern Oklahoma. They are the most at-risk group for ID theft, according to recent Federal Trade Commission surveys.
"People at the highest risk were those with public social media profiles and smartphone users who don't have passwords on their phones. College students fit that demographic as they fall in an age range where both social media and smartphones are used heavily. In 2011, 11.6 million adults became identity theft victims, a 13 percent increase from 2010, according to the 2012 Identity Fraud Survey conducted by Javelin Strategy & Research.
"On college campuses, 'friendly fraud' accounts for 20 percent of identity theft crimes," said Brinkley. "Friends, roommates and classmates are all potential scammers."
He explained that too often people think of scammers only as foreign-based scam artists phishing on the internet, but this isn't always the case. As college acquaintances are often trusted by most college students, this can make it easier for such people to steal important information through paperwork or social networking websites.
"Most college students are so busy that when they realize they have become scam victims it's too late to do anything about it," said Brinkley. "College students need to take action early to avoid scams by being careful where they store personal documents and by being cautious on the internet."
The BBB urges college students to fight campus identity theft five ways:
Parents' address: Send sensitive mail to your parents' homes or post office boxes. School mailboxes are not secure and can often be accessed easily in dorms and apartment buildings.
Secure documents: Important documents should be locked up: your Social Security card, passport, bank and credit card statements. Shred credit card offers and any paper documents containing sensitive financial information rather than just tossing them.
Guard cards: Never lend credit or debit cards to anyone. Keep yours, and their numbers, to yourself.
Updates & patches: Ensure your computer has up-to-date antivirus and spyware software. Install updates and patches to your computers' operating systems or browser software to keep your computer safe from advances in identity thievery online.
Check card statements: Check your credit or debit card statements closely for suspicious activity. The sooner you identify potential fraud, the less you'll suffer in the long run.
Submit Action Line questions by calling 918-699-8888, emailing
phil.mulkins@TulsaWorld.com or by mailing them to Tulsa World Action Line, PO Box 1770, Tulsa OK 74102-1770.
Original Print Headline: College students at risk of 'friendly fraud' scams
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