Monday, June 13, 2005
Teaching about Identity Theft
In the past few years, schools have been taken to task for their reliance on Social Security numbers as a means of identifying students. Schools have responded slowly and students, by and large, give up information when asked.
That’s why, when asked to sign in with a name and Social Security number for an anatomy class, Polk Community College students did what students around the country generally do. They complied. In this case, however, the danger of information abuse wasn’t exposure of the number to faceless thieves but to the class’s teacher – who has just been charged with stealing the identities of at least three of his students.
When interviewed by the Associated Press, one student said “We figured, ‘He’s a teacher, what is he going to do with the Social Security number?'"
What indeed.
That’s why, when asked to sign in with a name and Social Security number for an anatomy class, Polk Community College students did what students around the country generally do. They complied. In this case, however, the danger of information abuse wasn’t exposure of the number to faceless thieves but to the class’s teacher – who has just been charged with stealing the identities of at least three of his students.
When interviewed by the Associated Press, one student said “We figured, ‘He’s a teacher, what is he going to do with the Social Security number?'"
What indeed.
# posted by AmandaWelsh @ 3:22 PM 
