College kids and 20-somethings are prime targets for ID theft

College students and young people in general are among the most-targeted groups by identity thieves.

The Better Business Bureau reports that a quarter of all identity theft cases are among college kids. Meanwhile, a FOX TV affiliate cited different data from the Federal Trade Commission that said young adults age 18-29 represent the largest segment of people hit by identity thieves.

Here's another surprising stat: A great deal of identity theft on campuses takes place at the dumpster. College kids will just dump financial paperwork right in the garbage at the dorm, creating a treasure trove of data for thieves looking to steal someone's identity.

There are lots of reasons why college kids and the young become targets. One of the most common is moving. I moved nine times in four years during when I was younger. Mail goes to wrong address and anyone with sticky fingers can take it.

In addition, freshmen in dorms tend to just leave their doors unlocked all the time. All it takes is one dishonest person on the floor to do real damage. Financial records should always be locked up.

So what's the solution? Use OptOutPreScreen.com to remove your name from the mailing list of the credit card companies. That way won't get the credit card apps that are so central for identity thieves. (I have elected not to do this because my credit is frozen and I want to see the trends of what kinds of offers are being made.)

With OptOptPreScreen.com, you will have to disclose your Social Security number because that's how the credit bureaus build a dossier on you.

As for personal info, it should be torn up or shredded. I've had many listeners suggests you should mix up your torn financial papers with a dirty diaper if you have young kids. That will definitely deter an identity thief any day of the week!