Be cautious of the footprints you leave online…

Before heading off to school, parents and college students alike should become aware of the dangers that lurk on social networking sites. Though these sites seem like harmless fun, they are growing in popularity, and not just for the young people who post information on them. These social networking sites are also favorite hangouts for all sorts of predators –including identity thieves. Without their knowledge, a student’s personal information can easily be stolen by predators, and with it –his or her future.

But it is not just online behavior that can lead to identity theft. College kids are bombarded with offers in the mail as well as through booths that are commonly setup on campus. Among the offers they should expect will be a barrage of credit card solicitations and if not careful trouble will strike when they least expect it. Students should buy and use a cross-cut shredder to shred any personal documents, beware of credit card bait and switch interest rates and limit the usage to minimal amounts –if at all!

Initially the payments may seem affordable. However, when an identity theft strikes, and fraudulent or erroneous data infects your credit reports, interest rates rise –and so do the payments. When unpaid bogus accounts contaminate credit reports it can take months or years to fix the mess leaving one to pay higher auto insurance and credit card payments. The payments once thought to be affordable then suddenly skyrocket along with your stress level! Fraud Alerts can be placed on credit reports but it's important to know they fall off every 90 days so it’s important to note and diary the dates to re-activate.

Students should start by getting their free annual credit reports (at the legitimate place). The toll free number established through Amendments made to the Fair Credit Reporting Act is 877-322-8228. It's a toll free number and automated. All three reports can be ordered in one quick call. Remember knowledge is power and in the world of credit and fraud -what you don't know can definitely hurt you!

So what can parents and students do to ensure that surfing the net and hanging out in social networking sites don’t turn into a dreadful situation? They need to be smart and intuitive while paying special attention to their surroundings –just as they do in real life. Remember, criminals scavenge social network sites specifically prowling for information that can be turned into –ready money.

A few more tips to stay safe while socializing on the web

  • Avoid posting anything that would make it easy for a stranger to find you, whether it be at work, school, home or your favorite hangouts. Don’t ever post or publicize when you or your family are going to be away on vacation. If a criminal has glued enough pieces of your life together to figure out where you and/or your family live – you can guess where they’ll be heading while you’re away! A good rule of thumb…never post anything you wouldn’t want the world to know about!
  • Use care when creating passwords. Identity thieves are trained to use small morsels of information and decipher passwords. Don’t use information contained in your profile. This includes your phone number, email addresses, cell phone, birth date, home or work address, IM screen name, pet names, favorite bands or where you like to hang out.
  • Beware of Third Party Applications and the threat of malware. Keep your security software patched and up to date. Never click on or enter information in Pop-ups and never download files from theses sites –often you will find you’ve downloaded malicious spyware or viruses.
  • The Internet is a public place. What students post on line today can heavily impact their lives in the future. Employers regularly scour networking sites, YouTube, and often even Google prospective employees’ names -before hiring them. If your son or daughter is passed over for a job –it could be due to what was found on the internet about them, whether posted by them, or someone else! Be mindful of what you post in a public venue. Don't post pictures (or videos) you wouldn’t want the entire world to see, including law enforcement, professors, and prospective employers!
  • Beware of Text messages (or email messages) from people you don’t know. Scams are often initiated by text messages and emails that claim you need to verify account information or passwords and PIN’s. These are scams. They will include an embedded link, or phone number –both of which they urge you to use to get in touch with them to seek personal information from you. Soliciting information through SMS text messaging is now coined “Smishing” and is the ugly twin of “phishing” –the more commonly known email scam. Remember legitimate companies will not text, phone or email to verify account information or passwords and PIN’s.
  • Password protect your smart phones and computers. If you phone or computer is stolen, this will give you time to cancel passwords or other personal information stored in them.
  • Purchase and use a cross-cut shredder to shred credit card offers and any personal documents.

    Though popular social networking sites such as Facebook and MySpace claim to enforce a minimum age limit of 13 or 14, preteens actually have very easy access.

    A recent study found that almost half of eight to 17 year-olds with internet access now have profiles on social networks and 41 percent admitted to not using any privacy settings! The study also found that only 30 percent of parents are aware that their children's profiles are open to view by online strangers and that parents continue to be unaware of the potential dangers their children face by posting details about themselves on social networking sites.

    The internet is a wonderfully fun and extremely useful invention! We can’t stop using it out of fear of fraud –no more than we can stop driving cars out of an irrational fear of accidents. We simply need to be alert and mindful of the potential dangers of identity theft and lurking predators. If parents and students are not vigilant in guarding their personal information from hackers and thieves, they may find more in their future than just a degree. Many of them may find a destroyed credit rating if they fall victim to an identity theft. A thief can easily keep them from getting their dream-job regardless of how good their education is.

    • Author's Bio: 

    Denise Richardson is a longtime Consumer Advocate, Identity Theft Risk Management Specialist, and Author of the book, Give Me Back My Credit, and co-host of a Blog Talk Radio Network show Spotlight, a program designed to spotlight consumer related financial issues. Richardson is a member of the National Association of Consumer Advocates and Board member of the non-profit 501(3) (c) organization Americans Consumer Credit Education Support Services (ACCESS). To find out more information about identity theft, get tips on social networking sites and learn of the latest scams, visit her blog at www.givemebackmycredit.com
    Additional Resources on Identity Theft can be found at:

    Website Directory for Identity Theft
    Articles on Identity Theft
    Products for Identity Theft
    Discussion Board
    Denise Richardson, The Official Guide to Identity Theft