Last year nearly a third of reported identity theft involved credit cards according to the Federal Trade Commission. And college students can be especially vulnerable. Consumer Reports has important tips on keeping financial information safe on campus.
Criminals love public Wifi because it may not be secure -- potentially giving those criminals access to your computer. For things like shopping or banking it’s better to use private Wifi that you access with a password. Consider using your phone’s data connection for sensitive transactions. That’s also safer than public Wifi for banking or shopping.
It’s important to keep in mind that college databases have been hacked recently. Now while students can’t do much about that, they can take steps to limit the damage from data breaches whether on campus or elsewhere. Change passwords and check bank statements and credit cards for unauthorized charges.
Also check with the credit reporting companies, Transunion, Experian and Equifax for unexplained debt. And if anyone has tried to open up credit in the student’s name inform the bureau that the attempt was fraudulent.
If you think your identity has been stolen consider also putting a temporary freeze on your credit. That’s done through the 3 credit reporting agencies.
**The Better Business Bureau also told Action News they recommend students buy a webcam cover, to prevent hackers from seeing what you're up to if they hack into your web camera.
