2008 Woodie Awards
(U-WIRE) WASHINGTON - Applying for a loan online; buying textbooks at the campus bookstore; checking your grades on the Internet. What may seem like everyday tasks for a typical college student could also provide easy access for someone to steal your identity.
Identity theft is the fastest growing crime in America, with 900,000 new victims each year. Thieves obtain information such as a name, Social Security number, credit card number or other identifying information usually off of the Internet to make purchases and pretend to be you. Some imposters may rack up credit card debt and even criminal charges in your name.
Recognizing the need for more security to protect private information, the federal government has stepped in. The U.S. Senate is expected to debate legislation that would force data brokers to disclose to residents when their personal information has been stolen.
The need for tougher safeguards was noticed after Choicepoint, an Atlanta based company that compiles personal information and court records from millions of Americans, was breached last year. Crooks were able to steal personal information from nearly 145 thousand people. The "Choicepoint amendment" would also require stricter procedures to detect and prevent identity fraud.
Colleges around the country are facing a similar issue. According to the U.S. Department of Education, "as a student, you may even be more vulnerable to identity theft because of the availability of personal data and the way many students handle this data."
Many schools use social security numbers as a primary means of identifying students. This information is often placed on the Internet, where computer hackers could easily obtain personal information about students, faculty and staff. According to the financial data surveyor Bankrate.com, 48 percent of students have had their grades posted by Social Security number.
"Many times it is the only identification a person has and if it's available on some paper, of course the nastier elements of society could use them for criminal activity," says George Washington University student Sai Pradhan. "The only thing that consoles me is that they'll probably get a thousand other people before me."
Identity theft is the fastest growing crime in America, with 900,000 new victims each year. Thieves obtain information such as a name, Social Security number, credit card number or other identifying information usually off of the Internet to make purchases and pretend to be you. Some imposters may rack up credit card debt and even criminal charges in your name.
Recognizing the need for more security to protect private information, the federal government has stepped in. The U.S. Senate is expected to debate legislation that would force data brokers to disclose to residents when their personal information has been stolen.
The need for tougher safeguards was noticed after Choicepoint, an Atlanta based company that compiles personal information and court records from millions of Americans, was breached last year. Crooks were able to steal personal information from nearly 145 thousand people. The "Choicepoint amendment" would also require stricter procedures to detect and prevent identity fraud.
Colleges around the country are facing a similar issue. According to the U.S. Department of Education, "as a student, you may even be more vulnerable to identity theft because of the availability of personal data and the way many students handle this data."
Many schools use social security numbers as a primary means of identifying students. This information is often placed on the Internet, where computer hackers could easily obtain personal information about students, faculty and staff. According to the financial data surveyor Bankrate.com, 48 percent of students have had their grades posted by Social Security number.
"Many times it is the only identification a person has and if it's available on some paper, of course the nastier elements of society could use them for criminal activity," says George Washington University student Sai Pradhan. "The only thing that consoles me is that they'll probably get a thousand other people before me."
