ENFORCER

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News from the Office of Safety and Security at Meharry Medical College

Identity theft on campus:
College students are prime targets

By Lt. Theresa McKinnon
Professional Accountability Unit

Identity theft is the fastest growing crime in America. A college student can be an identity thief’s dream. Most students will be up to their eyes in student loans by the time they graduate. Toss in thousands of dollars of additional unauthorized debt and a wrecked credit rating courtesy of an identity thief and it becomes an absolute nightmare.

Do you casually toss a stack of credit card offers in the trash?  Our colleges and universities are the most fertile fields for the cultivation of identity theft. Our campuses are home to rampant, careless use of sensitive identifying information.
Identity theft occurs when someone else uses your name and other identification, almost always your social security number, to obtain money, goods or services fraudulently.  If someone gets his hands on your social security number it could cause you lots of grief.  Students go to college in order to learn, to better themselves and to discover their identities.  I don’t know of anyone seeking to lose their identity, or worse yet, to have it stolen.

The best way for anyone to minimize their chances of being a victim of identity theft is to keep close tabs on all of your personal and financial information.  You have to take responsibility for yourself and for protecting your identity. Remember, no one can protect you from identity theft but you.  

To obtain a free credit report, log on to www.annualcreditreport.com.