Student Social Security numbers stolen
8:45 p.m. Wednesday, August 27, 2008
86 K-state student Social Security numbers are in the wrong hands.
It happened when a faculty member left old tests and documents in a car.
A burglar broke into the car, took some electronics, and the more valuable Social Security numbers.
With your Social Security number, a criminal can get your money, access to your bank account, and ruin your credit. Still, for K-state students, it seems a distant possiblity.
Artur Gregorian is a junior. Is he worried about identity theft?
"Not really," he said.
But 86 of the university's 23,000 students are getting a letter explaining their Social Security numbers were stolen out of an instructor's car. That same student was concerned after learning of the thefts.
"That's a lot of information they've got. Social Security numbers can get you anything they want basically. So that would concern me a lot," Gregorian said.
The letter sent out also addresses those concerns and how to protect their identity.
Sue Maes, the interim dean says, "We've given the students who were affected full information about how to check credit info, alert various places about credit fraud."
University officials say nothing like this has ever happened, but even before the theft, a new policy using student ID numbers instead of Social Security numbers was put in place this fall.
Todd Kalhoun, a 5th year senior, says it's a good change.
"It is a very good idea for test taking. You've got to put your K-State ID instead of social. Definitely a safe way to do that," Kalhoun said.
So far there have been no reports of any of the 86 students identities being used illegally.
And the department where the thefts occurred is having teachers shred their old documents with sensitive student information on them.
Protect yourself from identity theft with the helpful suggestions at www.ktka.com/identitytheft.
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