February 6, 2006
Identity thieves have figured out yet another scam to cause turmoil in the lives of their victims. This time they are after students and their financial aid money. As if attending college and trying to secure financial aid isn’t enough of a headache without having to deal with credit clean up!
One of the main reasons the identity thieves are able to make this happen is because more forms are readily filled out online. Some financial aid offices do not even require the student to pick up their money in person, making it all the more accessible to steal.
How Identity Thieves Pull it Off:
After securing a student’s identity the thieves will attend the minimum required amount of time in school only to drop out and cash in on the rest of the cash. Depending on the student it could be thousands of dollars!
How to Protect Yourself:
Never share the pin number given to you when applying for aid online with anyone. Try to be as careful as possible when sharing your personal information online. If you are worried about identity theft of your financial aid ask what else you can do to protect yourself from a financial aid officer at your school or schools of choice.
