Studies show that college students are among those least likely to be careful with their personal information. Students apparently are a bit callous about protecting their information, and this can be a huge mistake.

In a recent article on www.metro.us, LifeLock’s Mike Prusinski was asked about this issue.

“College students have a giant bullseye on their back for a lot of reasons,” Prusinski said, pointing out that students get offers for credit cards and are the targets for many other types of marketing as well. He also pointed out that students are vulnerable due to the fact that mail and rooms in college dorms aren’t always secure, and personal and financial information can be compromised as a result.

Prusinski offers some advice. He encourages students to speak up when asked for personal or financial information, and ask why it’s needed. He also said students should ask how the information will be stored as well.

He also encourages students to be more vigilant about securing their Social Security cards as well.

“If someone has your Social Security number, they can get a job, they can get medical care and they can file your tax returns,” he said.

Cruse has been charged with mail fraud and aggravated identity theft. She applied for 92 student loans between 2003 and 2007, seeking more than $1 million in student loan funds, although she only completed two college courses in three years. She applied for the loans in both in her name and the names of others, whose Social Security numbers and dates of birth she used without their permission or their knowledge. It is not clear whether Cruse was personally acquainted with the people whose personal information she stole.

She successfully obtained 17 loans totaling $192,000. Cruse’s loan applications also included a fake co-borrower, with fraudulent biographical, employment and financial information.

She falsified letters of employment and created fake pay stubs and tax forms of the phony co-signers in order to submit supporting documentation with her applications.

If convicted, Cruse could face up to 30 years in jail and up to a $1 million fine. Additional charges are pending and she could face more penalties as a result.

LifeLock can help protect your personal information from people like LaVada Cruse. In addition to monitoring your personal information for any credit or non-credit related threat, LifeLock will notify you immediately, and help you take the needed steps to set things right.

And if any damage is done, LifeLock will spend up to $1 million to get the issue resolved.

And you can take that to the bank.

Call LifeLock today.

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More than 11 million people ages 18 to 24 were victims of identity theft in 2009, according to the Better Business Bureau.

However, law enforcement personnel often say that with college students, the theft more often involves credit and debit card theft, rather than identity theft.

What’s the difference?

Fraudulent use of a credit card takes place when someone uses another person’s credit or debit card. If they spend more than $500 within a six-month period, the crime is a felony, less and it is a misdemeanor. Theft by deception occurs when someone passes a check that isn’t his own. These crimes are not identified as identity theft.

Identity theft is defined as someone knowingly having the identification or former identification of a person or a family member. This information includes name, address, telephone number, e-mail address, Social Security number, driver’s license number, birth date or PIN number. The thief must use this information to take property or obtain benefits, make a financial or credit transaction using the person’s identity, to avoid detection, or for use in politics.

Students at many colleges and universities are briefed by campus police on identity theft prevention. But officials say identity theft often goes unreported.

But students can take some steps to protect themselves from identity theft. All personal identification, as well as credit and debit cards, checkbooks and other financial materials, should be kept secure. Students living in residence halls should never leave their rooms unlocked, and students should never leave backpacks, wallets or purses unsecured.

Follow these simple steps and the only thing you’ll have to worry about is what to wear the first day of class.

The FTC received more than 72,000 complaints from consumers in their 20s in 2008, nearly 25% of all the complaints they received last year. This statistic belies the belief commonly held by people who think they’re not likely to be targeted by identity thieves because they typically haven’t accumulated a lot of assets yet.

Part of the reason for their vulnerability is the high number of data breaches affecting universities. And, college students typically live in close quarters with other people who might or might not be trustworthy.

There are a few basic tools and skills to help protect the identities of people in this age group:

• A lock box or small safe to store Social Security cards, credit cards, financial statements and any mail containing personally identifying information. The box should be large enough to store a laptop computer.
• Home addresses are usually more secure than clustered dorm or apartment mailboxes. Never have mail delivered to clustered mailboxes during holiday breaks.
• Check all financial statements as soon as they arrive. Monitor new charges.
• Never lend credit cards or driver’s licenses. When people are stopped for traffic violations or more serious crimes, they frequently panic and might give police the wrong identification to protect their own identities.

LifeLock provides comprehensive and innovative identity theft protection services for as little as $9 a month. Visit LifeLock.com to learn more.

A subset of that group is college students, and that subgroup accounts for a great deal of the identity theft. Among the reasons the identities of college students are so frequently stolen:

Institutional policies: About half of all college students attend schools that use the students’ Social Security number as a student ID number.

Credit card offers: Roughly half of all college students receive at least one credit card offer in the mail each week; many receive them daily. Most college students say they just throw them away without shredding them. They’re also subjected to a barrage of credit card offers on campus, accompanied by offers of free T-shirts and gift cards.

Lifestyle: There are several elements of college life that make students especially vulnerable to identity theft, including; long holiday breaks with mail sitting uncollected; chaotic dorm life; living among strangers; inordinate sense of trust.

Experts recommend that parents talk to their kids about identity theft in the same way they talk to them about drug and alcohol usage, sexuality and safety practices like locking doors.

Each student should have a locking file cabinet and a shredder. They should be warned to avoid credit card offers, use online services to frequently monitor their accounts and review their credit reports regularly.

Whether you’re a college student yourself, or are just someone who’s concerned about a college student, visit LifeLock.com today to learn more about their identity theft protection services. Enroll using the LifeLock promotion code Defense and receive their comprehensive and innovation protection service  for as little as $9 a month.