The e-mail looks official. It has a recognizable bank logo at the top under the name Smith Barney.

"Technical services of the Smith Barney are carrying out a planned software upgrade," the e-mail says. "We earnestly ask you to visit the following link to start the procedure of confirmation of customers' data."

The link, which appears to go to the Smith Barney Web site, takes customers to a page that directs them to fill in debit card numbers, passwords, expiration dates and other personal information.

But a warning on Smith Barney's actual Web site tells a different story.

"Clients should never provide confidential information in response to an e-mail," it says. "Smith Barney will never send you an e-mail asking for your passwords, credit or debit card numbers or other sensitive information."

This e-mail scam, called phishing, is one of the methods thieves use to steal consumers' personal information to commit fraud, a crime known as identity theft. It's one of the fastest-growing crimes in the country, affecting 9.9 million Americans and causing nearly $50 billion in losses to victims and businesses in 2003.

The growth of identity theft has forced changes in the way people do business, even on college campuses. OU's pending switch to ID cards without students' Social Security numbers on the front is an attempt to prevent this crime.

How It Happens

The most common form of identity theft is called account takeover, according to a Federal Trade Commission study. It occurs when thieves steal credit card numbers or checking account information and use the existing accounts.

Kenny Gant, industrial engineering senior, said thieves used his mother's credit card number without her knowledge.

"We found out they bought something from a gun manufacturer," he said. "It was kind of a big hassle because she didn't have her credit card for a couple of weeks."

Criminals may find account numbers and information by stealing wallets and purses or finding old credit card statements, said Sgt. Mike Praizner of the Norman Police Department.

Praizner said debit card theft is one of the worst forms of identity theft. With electronic payments becoming more popular than cash-and-check payments for the first time in 2004, according to an American Banker's Association survey, debit theft is becoming more and more common.

"[The thief] can siphon all the money out of your bank account in an hour," he said.

Sheila Gordon, director of victim services at the Identity Theft Resource Center, said people should use credit instead of debit cards and pay off the balance each month. She said credit card companies will usually refund customers for fraudulent purchases made on their accounts, but debit cards don't have the same security.

Two other forms of theft, phishing e-mails and phone calls, are also common on college campuses.

Katherine Collins, University College freshman, said she and her roommate got scam phone calls so often they finally disconnected their phone.

"[The callers] said they were from the university," she said. "Some of them were saying they needed to confirm your ID number."

Praizner said no reputable organization will ask for personal information through these methods.

The college demographic is the most vulnerable to identity theft, according to an FTC study. Thirty-three percent of victims in 2003 were between the ages of 18 and 29-the highest of any age group.

Gordon said that in many instances, identity thieves steal college students' Social Security numbers, which are often their school ID numbers, to start false credit card accounts and get loans. She said OU's switch to new ID numbers will help prevent this.

"Nothing's going to 100 percent prevent identity theft, but it's a step in the right direction," she said. "I recommend that everyone shred their old student ID cards."

Preventing and Recovering from Identity Theft

Most victims discover theft by monitoring their own credit histories, according to the FTC. The Identity Theft and Assumption Deterrence Act, passed by Congress in 1998, made it easier for consumers to check their credit by mandating free credit reports once a year from each of the three national reporting agencies.

The free credit reports will become available online to Oklahomans June 1.

John Ford, chief privacy officer for Equifax, said people should look over their credit reports to ensure that all account information, payment histories and personal data are accurate and complete. Ford said Equifax offers a credit monitoring service that will do this automatically.

"It will alert consumers within 24 hours of any change in their credit report," he said.

Ford said learning of the theft early is key to preventing losses.

"For consumers who discovered that they were victims of identity theft-if they discovered it in five months-they had no out-of-pocket costs," he said.

Gordon said college students should check their credit at least once a year.

"College kids are starting a foundation for their future," she said. "Being credit-worthy is part of that future."

Gordon said students should be wary of giving out Social Security numbers and should never keep them in wallets or purses, whether on Social Security cards, insurance cards or ID cards.

If students do become victims, Ford said they should file a police report, notify creditors and place a fraud alert on their credit histories at all three credit agencies. He said the agencies send the alert and the customer's phone number to all banks and creditors inquiring about that customer's history.

"If the consumer gets a call and they haven't been trying to get a loan, they'll know right away that it's fraud," he said. "It nips identity theft right in the bud."
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