BBB Warns University Students To Be On Lookout For Identity Theft

With the start of another school year most university students don't have protection from identity theft on their minds. The Better Business Bureau says family and friends should warn students of the dangers of new roommates and new friends they meet.

"Friendly Fraud" accounts for a significant amount of all ID theft crimes. New roommates and new college friends can do as much damage as foreign based scams. Identity thieves think nothing of going through unattended trash cans looking for unshredded documents that contain personal financial information.

Students should sign up for security alerts and have them sent to cell phones so they can get updates quickly. Credit card and bank statements should be sent to the home of a parent. Credit or debit cards should not be lent to anyone.