Zions Bank scares students straight about identity theft

As part of National Protect Your Identity Week, more than 60 Zions Bank employees are visiting more than 7,000 students in Idaho and Utah this month.

A news release from Zions Bank says that people ages 20 to 29 are most likely to be victims of identity theft, and Zions Bank Financial Literacy Manager Don Milne said teenagers aren't immune, either.

"[Youth are] a favorite target, because unlike us adults who somewhat pay attention to our credit status — or at least, who should — students are pretty oblivious to it."

Milne visited West High School students on Tuesday to explain the dangers. His points of emphasis are:

1 • Protect your phones and other digital devices with a password lock.

2 • Install effective antivirus software on your computer, and make sure a website is secure before buying things online. (Tip: If it's secure, it will have a padlock, key icon or "s" after "http" in the URL.)

3 • Don't give out sensitive information on social networking sites or surveys. Even telling somebody your dog's name can help an identity thief answer security questions.

According to a news release, the Utah Attorney General's Office says that more than 1,000 Utah minors have had their identities stolen. Their Utah's Child Identity Protection Program allows minors to add their information into a TransUnion fraud alert database that will help them ensure nobody is creating credit accounts in their name.

mpiper@sltrib.com