Student Center

Students - Are You a Victim of Identity Theft?

Have you recently:

lost your wallet?
had your laptop stolen?
given out your personal identifying information in response to a suspicious email or on a suspicious web site on the Internet ?

If the answer to any of these questions is yes, it’s possible that you are a victim of identity theft.

The first thing to do if you think someone may be using your identity is to get a copy of your credit report from all three of the national credit reporting agencies (Equifax, Experian and Trans Union) so you can see what they are all reporting on you..

We recommend that you get a credit report from all three because each credit agency may report credit information from different lenders. For example, if you are paying for a car on payments, the lender may be reporting your payment activity only to Experian; alternatively, if you have a credit card, that information may be reported only to Trans Union. To see all the credit information being reported, check all three credit reporting agencies.

BTW under Federal Law you are entitled to a free credit report every year from each of the three credit bureau systems. To order your free annual credit report, go to www.annualcreditreport.com.

When reviewing your report, if you find one or more entries you do not recognize as your own, write a letter to the national credit bureau that is reporting the incorrect information and ask that they remove that information from your report, plus put a fraud alert on your credit report. Then mark your calendar and in six to twelve weeks, order another credit report to ensure the items you requested earlier were removed. We offer 3-Bureau Credit Reports to consumers which include credit information from all 3 national credit reporting agencies- click here to order your 3 Bureau Report

For greater peace of mind, you might also want to enroll in a credit monitoring service. We offer products that have a free trial to Credit Monitoring that monitors your credit report at all three credit bureaus plus gives your access to your 3 credit scores. You may cancel the credit monitoring before the end of the free time period if you are not satisfied, and you will not be charged. After the free period you will be charged a monthly fee.

Finally, here are some points to ponder for the future security of your identity:

Keep your wallet or purse with you at all times (leaving those items in your car or even the grocery cart is an invitation to people who are looking for easy theft)
Do not lend your ID
Keep a good lock on your locker
Order your credit report at least once a year to check for unusual activity
Regarding your Social Security Number, protect it and never carry your SSN card in your wallet!

More information on Identity Theft is available on our website.

Thank you for visiting our website. Please let us know when we can assist you with your credit reporting needs