Identity Theft a Problem for College Students
By Julia Meyer

Like online privacy, many college students think they're exempt from the problem of identity theft, but researchers say one out of every 30 students will be targeted.

Undetected theft can cause headaches for students applying for jobs because potential employers routinely check the credit reports of applicants.

Victims of identity theft generally lose more than six thousand dollars and spend more than 40 hours straightening out the mess.

UNC Senior Matthew Nunnelley says he can see why college students might think they're immune from identity theft.

“On campus, it’s kind of like a closed environment so many people probably assume that they’re safe from identity theft because they know everyone around them and it seems like a communal environment,” Nunnelley said.

The author of a new book called Surviving Identity Theft proposed a number of ways college students can protect themselves, among them, guarding your mail, keeping your financial papers private, getting your credit report regularly, being cautious when using public computers and being smart about sharing personal information on the Web.