ESCANABA -- College students are back to school at Bay College in Escanaba, and Delta County Sheriff, Gary Ballweg, is offering tips on helping them fight identity theft.
He recommends that students don't loan credit or debit cards to anyone, even friends. Always check your credit or debit card statements closely for suspicious activity. Check your credit report at least once a year for any suspicious activity or inaccuracies and make sure your computer has up to date antivirus and spyware software to prevent identity theft.
"You should always make a police report if you've had identity theft. Your credit card company is going to let you know what to do. You need to call them immediately. And in many cases, if you don't call them right away, you may not be protected. In most cases, if you do call right away, you're protected all the way," said Ballweg.
Sheriff Ballweg says recent studies have found that young adults ages 18 - 24 took the longest to detect identity theft compared to other age groups.