College-aged increasingly fall victim to ID theft

Something as simple as taking out the garbage or buying a shirt online can make people victims of identity theft, one of the country's most rapidly growing crimes.

And recent studies have found college students to be an especially vulnerable population.

According to "Customary Focus 2005: Insurance," a study conducted by consumer research organization Vertis , identity theft is on the rise.

The study showed that the younger generation, who might be at higher risk for fraud, were more concerned. Thirty-eight percent of men and 23 percent of women ages 18 to 24 said they were interested in purchasing identity theft insurance.

Identity Theft 911 is an organization dedicated to preventing identity theft crimes and helping victims. Judd Rousseau, chief operating officer and director of fraud operations, says he also has seen the drastic increase in the crime and wants to help.

"Should someone discover they're an actual victim, we'll work with them," he says.

Rousseau says he has noticed the emphasis of fraud against the college-age population and thinks students are right to be concerned.

"Many individuals around that age aren't always putting their financial profile first," he says. "They're worried about finals and writing papers, not people stealing their identities."

They are also at risk because thieves often get students' personal information through their schools' computer systems, Rousseau says.

Identity Theft 911 works with universities to help steer them away from dangerous practices. The most important precaution is limiting the use of students' Social Security numbers, Rousseau says.

UNC switched from using Social Security numbers to personal identification numbers May 30, 1997.

A committee met to decide how to implement the new PID numbers. Jim Clinton, director of operations for the UNC One Card Office, says they had the PIDs start with the number seven because there were no Social Security numbers that start with that number.

"We try to stay away from using socials as much as possible," says Nathan Shafar, manager of the UNC One Card Office. "Nobody can do much damage with a PID number."

Although PID fraud is not as large-scale as Social Security number or credit card theft, it still can be inconvenient for students. Shafar says they have had cases of students using other students' cards and making fraudulent charges.

"When it happens, we recommend they do file a police report," he says.

Sophomore Meagan Long's purse was stolen at a party at Merritt Mill apartments in September. Her One Card was in the purse.

By the time Long contacted the One Card Office the next day, fraudulent charges already had been made - two lunches at Chase Dining Hall at Rams Head and several video games.

"I filed a police report with the (Chapel Hill Police Department), but they said they couldn't really do anything," she says. "I guess it wasn't very helpful."

The One Card Office reimbursed Long for the two meals. She had to pay about $2 for the video game charges.

Even though the charges were not very significant, Long says the incident made her think about what could have happened.

"It just makes me think not to give out my Social Security number to anyone and to be careful of what I'm bringing places," she says.

To prevent fraud, Shafar advises students not to loan their cards to their friends. This often is a problem during basketball season, he says, because students share One Cards to get tickets for the games.

Chapel Hill police Crime Prevention Officer Danny Lloyd attributes the crime surge to new technology.

Because the economic system is no longer reliant on cash transactions, it is more common for people to steal in new ways, Lloyd says. Instead of holding people up at gunpoint and taking their money, thieves will steal their credit card numbers.

"Nowadays it's a lot cleaner type of crime to take someone's mail out of their mailbox," he says. "There's payoff for thieves to get those account numbers."

Lloyd says he encounters many of these crimes that could have been prevented.

People need to be aware that if they get phone calls or e-mails asking for their account numbers or passwords, it is often a scam, he says.

"Once that information gets compromised, there are a lot of bad things that can be done with it."

 

Contact the Features Editor at features@unc.edu.