It was a simple question: “Can I haveyour student ID or social security number?”Without thinking, I instantly blurtedout my SSN- loud enough for practicallyanyone within a 20-foot radius to hear.

Despite all the warnings, I’d forgottenthe most basic advice drilled into me bymy parents, teachers, and dozens of newsreports: as students, protecting ourselvesagainst identity theft should be a top priority.

Identity theft refers to crimes in whichthe perpetrator steals another person’smeans of identification, such as their socialsecurity, driver’s license, or credit cardnumbers, in order to assume the person’sidentity. The thief then uses this informationto open up credit accounts, take outloans or make purchases over the phone orthe Internet.

According to a 2003 survey by the IdentityTheft Resource Center, the averageidentity theft victim lost $1,495 and spentover 600 hours repairing the damage doneto his credit ratings and reputation.

Many college students, who struggle tomake ends meet, incorrectly believe thatidentity thieves won’t bother with them,preferring more lucrative targets instead.”Young people under age 29 have becomethe number one demographic target foridentity thieves,” said Betsy Broder fromthe Federal Trade Commission at an IDtheftawareness summit last year.

Youths are prime targets for a numberof reasons. First, as it may be years beforethey apply for a mortgage loan or a premiumcredit card, the thief has plenty oftime to ruin their credit ratings before theyeven notice what has happened.

Also, because most young adults havelittle, if any, credit history, many companiesare willing to issue them fairly stronglines of credit. This is especially true ifthey are college students who work parttime,a demographic that is known for itsspending habits. Finally, youths often buythings over the Internet, and are vulnerableto online account hacking.

Despite all of this, “nine out of 10 studentswho are asked for an ID number stilluse their SSN,” said Hai Nguyen, a clerkat the De Anza College registrar’s desk.Doing so only increases the risk of fallingvictim to identity theft, as one of the mostcommon methods used by thieves is simplyto eavesdrop on exactly these types ofconversations.

Further information regarding precautionscan be found online, but the simplestand perhaps most effective precaution ofall can be implemented right now: memorizeand use your De Anza College issuedstudent ID instead of your SSN.

For more information on identity theft,visit the FTC website at http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/edu/microsites/idtheft/.