Perceptions of identity theft in college age individuals

Battling identity theft in the collegiate population necessitates first understanding the perception of identity theft in college age individuals. The results of a literature review conducted to determine the college students' perceptions of identity theft indicated that students did not have a large amount of knowledge about identity theft in one form or another nor did they have knowledge about the importance of protecting key personal identifying information. Naivete combines with a lack of education regarding the red flags of identity theft has the potential to put many college students at risk for the various frauds perpetrated by the identity thief. The review also highlighted some potential areas for further study. None of the studies examined in the literature review specifically examined whether or not different student ethnicities or socio-economic statuses impact the breadth of student knowledge regarding identity theft. No studies were located that examined specific identity theft risks arising from new technologies such as cell phones, smart phones and tablets or the need for changes in identity theft education associated with these newer mobile technologies. In addition to a lack of focused studies of the changes in perception of identity theft in different ethnicities or socio-economic statuses and the impact of new technology on identity theft, the literature review indicated that there is a need for identity theft education for students in institutions of higher learning.