Updates

  • It’s Back-to-School Time: Take ID Theft Awareness to UniversityAugust 26, 2019

    Beyond credit cards and bank accounts, identity theft can be used to obtain fraudulent IDs, takeover mobile phone accounts, steal utilities, obtain mortgages or rental leases, get a job, or steal your tax refund. You name it and identity thieves have probably figured out a way to rip it off. For victims ages 20 to 29, the most reported types of identity theft are:

    • 26% credit card
    • 21% other identity theft
    • 14% employment or tax
    • 14% phone or utilities
    • 11% loan or lease
    • 9% bank
    • 3% government ID or benefits

    Dramatic increases in two types of fraud have been noted by researchers. Among under-21 victims in the UK, there has been a 79% rise in bank, debit and credit card related fraud.1 Meanwhile, in the US, mobile phone account takeovers nearly doubled in one year, from 380,000 incidents in 2017 to almost 680,000 victims in 2018.2

    Talk to students about the dangers

    Share the facts in this article with students you know and encourage them to be extra vigilant when they go off to college. With the right knowledge and cyber defense solutions, students don’t have to become victims of identity theft.

    We have partnered with CyberScout to offer comprehensive identity management services. If you detect suspicious activity or would like to proactively protect your identity, contact us at 417-843-6265 to be connected to a CyberScout fraud expert.


    1 “Young fraud victims on the rise: new data reveals 24% in under-21s falling victim to identity fraud,” Cifas, October 10, 2018

    2 Ibid.

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