HESC OFFERS TIPS TO PROTECT YOUR IDENTITY ON CAMPUS


Identity thieves are on to you.

"Yeah, but I never leave my wallet around and my Social Security number is already in a safe place," you say. Your identity can be stolen in ways you don’t even realize until you get a credit card statement with purchases you know you didn’t make or a collector calls you looking for payment.

Here are a few tips from the New York State Higher Education Services Corp. (HESC – your student financial aid agency) to keep your identity safe while on campus:

Be careful about disclosing your personal information, such as your mother’s maiden name, your pet’s name, and especially your Social Security number.

Don’t leave behind credit card receipts in ATMs, at stores, gas stations or in the shopping mall garbage cans. Shred them when you get home. “Dumpster diving” is one of the newer methods thieves use to get personal information, especially at shopping malls.

Be aware of your surroundings and be wary of anyone who is too close to you when using ATM’s or telephone booths. Thieves spy for PIN numbers while you’re using ATMs.

Be sure to finish your ATM transactions completely. Some ATM customers are in a hurry and do not complete the last question, “would you like another transaction: yes or no?” The next customer will find an ATM slip hanging from the slot with the question still on the screen waiting for a response. How tempting!

Trash can be treasure - purchase a good cross-cut shredder and use it. Shred everything that has any identifiable information on it like old bank statements, phone bills, credit card slips, even the pre-approved credit card offers that stuff your mailbox. People will sort through your trash to find information about you they can use to steal your identity.

Check your mailbox daily. Don’t let mail accumulate in your box. Often, the pre-screened credit card offers you consider “junk mail” contain personal information. And, they have “special offer” codes that can be used when calling the toll-free number by someone misrepresenting themselves as YOU. Shred these.

You can stop getting these offers by calling 1-888-5OPTOUT. You may request that each of the three major credit bureaus (Equifax, Experian and Trans Union) stop sharing information about you for promotional purposes. This will reduce the amount of junk mail you receive, too.

Beware of “pretexting.” Sharp con artists may call you on the phone misrepresenting themselves as officials from a bank, credit card company, or retailer and ask you to "confirm" secure, personal information. Unless you have initiated the call, do not give this information. Also beware of unsolicited e-mails that appear to be from a legitimate company asking for personal information for confirmation purposes.

Schedule regular checkups. Just like your health checkups, you should obtain an annual credit check for yourself. All consumers are entitled to a free, yearly credit report from each of the three major credit bureaus (see above). Read it carefully, watching for any addresses, credit accounts or any other information that is incorrect and report it to each credit bureau immediately.

There are many more ways tech-savvy thieves can steal identities. Learn more by visiting these Web sites:

New York State Attorney General: scroll down to “Identity Theft.”
Federal Trade Commission's Identity Theft Web Site

College Money $marts is a free service of HESC, your student financial aid agency. Visit the HESC Web site at www.hesc.org for information about college financial aid.

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