College Students Need Lesson In Identity Theft Prevention

Sunday, March 1, 2009

(NAPSA)—College students My Z won't be the only ones returning cost less than $2 and contain spe- to school this year. Chances are good identity thieves will be right there with them. Fortunately, cially formulated ink to prevent document fraud and check washing. Look for the words “Uni there are steps students and par- Super Ink” or “Helps Prevent ents can take to protect students’ identity from hungry thieves. Check Fraud” on select uni-ball pens. 6. Be careful to shield your That’s the word from Robert Siciliano, an expert on college security and identity theft. Sicil- iano is using his 25 years of experience in security work, white-col- lar crimes and self-defense to focus on college students, a group particularly susceptible to identity theft based on typically lax habits and often their own indifference. Siciliano believes college stu- dents need to become more aware of identity theft and take steps to protect themselves. He stresses the importance of students learn- ing to “take a minute for safety.” A recent Back-to-Campus secu- rity survey conducted on behalf of the Identity Theft Resource Center and uni-ball pens found that 42 percent of students feel they are at little to no risk for identity theft, yet they engage in at-risk behaviors such as giving out their Social Security number online (40 percent), failing to lock doors (35 percent) and using the wrong pen to write checks (66 percent). To help safeguard college students at school, following are tips both parents and students can use to help keep students from becoming victims: 1. Talk to your student about the importance of reconciling his checks and sign all important documents. Most uni-ball gel pens PIN number from those behind Reconciling your bank statement every month and using a uni-ball gel pen with specially formulated ink to write checks are two quick waysto preventidentity theft. or her bank statement each month. Suspicious activity on an account is one of the quickest ways to spot theft in action and prevent fraud. 2. Ask the university not to use your student’s Social Security number for identification purposes or to post grades. Many universities have already switched to systems that generate random identification numbers for student ID cards, but better to check first. 3. Invest in a lockbox or safe to securely store documents and valuables. Remind your student to never leave important documents or personal papers lying out in the open where they can be seen or stolen. 4. Keep all credit card and bank account statementslocked in a safe place. 5. Use a uni-ball pen that con- tains Uni Super Ink” to write rent you when using ATM machines. Be on the lookout for “skimmers,” or fake card readers attached to the machine that retain cardholder account information for thieves. 7. Always lock car doors and entrances to your apartment, dorm room or house—especially first and second floor windows. If biking, secure your bike on cam- pusand off with a sturdy lock. 8. Buy a diamond-cut document shredder to destroy credit card solicitations and other sensitive documents. 9. Be aware of what you post on the Internet, especially online social networks like Facebook and MySpace. You can neverbe sure of who is viewing your personal information or pictures. 10. Don’t share online pass- words with anyone—evenfriends. The risk is too great that it may be used against you. For more information on college students and identity theft, visit www.uniball-na.com. Take the Student Risk Index quiz and find out just how at risk your student maybe. onan ene e nnn e ene eee eee eee ONTa nen nnn nee enn nnn eee eee eee eee eee ee Note to Editors: September is National Campus Safety Awareness Month.

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