College students have enough to juggle when it comes to school, work and their social lives. Fighting fraud just doesn’t seem to make the list of priorities.

According to the 2010 Identity Fraud Survey Report released by Javelin Strategy and Research, more than 11 million people became victims of identity theft in 2009. Young adults aged 18 to 24 took the longest to detect identity theft —132 days on average —when compared to other age groups. Subsequently the average loss, over $1,000, was roughly five times more than amounts lost by other age groups.

“Identity thieves don’t care if you’re a struggling student and don’t have a penny to your name; sometimes all they want is to exploit your clean credit record,” said David Polino, Better Business Bureau president. “Young adults that establish good habits for monitoring and detecting fraud are laying a path that will help create a healthy financial road for the rest of their lives.”

The Better Business Bureau believes financial literacy is an essential life skill. The organization recognizes the need for grassroots consumer education to prevent identity theft and holds “Secure Your Identity Day” each year across the county. The date is set for Oct. 23 this year.

There were more than 100 sites that held the identity prevention event in 2009.

BBB recommends that you send off your college bound student with the following eight steps to fight identity theft on campus:

• Skip the school mailbox. These mail drops are not always secure and can often be easily accessed in a dorm or apartment. To combat sticky fingers in the mailroom, have sensitive mail sent to a permanent address such as the parents’ home or a P.O. Box.

• Use a lock and key. Important documents should be securely stored — such as in a filing cabinet with a key. This includes Social Security card, passport, bank and credit card statements.

• Shred it. Proper document destruction can go a long way to protect yourself from this silent crime and because ID theft is often committed by people we know, it’s important to guard your sensitive information. A golden rule is to shred any paper documents that have personal financial information rather than just tossing them out for trash bin diggers. Credit card offers that come in the mail should also hit the shredder rather than the trash.

• Say no to loans. Never loan your credit or debit card to anyone, even a friend. Also just say no if your friend wants you to cosign for a loan or financing for items like a TV.

• Gain technology know-how. Make sure your computer has up-to-date antivirus and spyware software. Always install any updates and patches to your computer’s operating system or browser software which help keep your computer safe from any new advances by identity thieves online.

• Do your financial homework. Check your credit or debit card statements closely each month for any suspicious activity. The sooner you identify any potential fraud, the less you’ll suffer in the long run. Don’t wait for “next month” to become three months from now.

• Shop safely online. When shopping on unfamiliar websites, always check the company out first with BBB online. Look for the BBB Accredited Business seal along with other trust seals and click on the seals to confirm that they are legitimate.

• Check, check and check. There are three credit reporting bureaus and all three should be checked each year and it can be done for free, too. Set a date, like your birthday or as the New Year begins and plan to check your credit report for any suspicious activity or inaccuracies. You can visit www.annualcreditreport. com to do so for free.

For more advice on fighting fraud and managing personal finances, visit BBB online at www. bbb. org/ us/ consumer tips- finance.

Through “Secure Your Identity Day” in 2009 alone, BBB helped individuals and small businesses at more than 133 sites across the country shred 1.3 million pounds of sensitive documents—all for free. Save Oct. 23 as a date to join BBB and gain valuable identity theft prevention information.