Envision checking your bank account and seeing blank zeros staring back at you.

For some of us, this isn't such an unusual thing.

But imagine not knowing where your money has gone, why your credit and debit cards have been rejected and having to deal with mountains of paperwork, trying to figure out what happened.

Identity theft is on the rise among college students, though the issue is little discussed. College students need to be aware of the traps of identity fraud so they know what to avoid.

UW alumna Jen Dowrie found herself standing in line at the grocery store, getting her debit card rejected.

"I knew that there was money on it," Dowrie said. "When I checked online, there were all sorts of strange charges to online companies. They had got a hold of about $2,000 of mine."

But who are "they?" Dowrie fell prey to (a type of identity theft) "phishing," where scam artists use e-mails and Web site promotions to lure unsuspecting students into giving out personal information online.

Dowrie had previously received an e-mail claiming to be from Bank of America, urging her to protect her account from fraud. She was told to send her information in order to update her account.

"I do have an account with Bank of America, so I thought it was for real," she said. "I couldn't tell that it was false. It looked exactly like the e-mails I get from the bank for my monthly statements, logos and all, very official."

UWPD Assistant Chief Ray Wittmier said students often wonder how their identities were stolen in the first place.

"You aren't always sure where they get this information from," he said. "College students are targeted quite a bit through e-mails and all these companies who try to get them to give out their information, like credit card companies."

College students leave themselves susceptible to identity theft because of the amount of credit card offers they receive by mail and then toss in the garbage.

It's a bad idea to leave these unfilled credit card applications sitting in your mailbox, said Carole Grayson, a staff attorney of Student Legal Services (SLS), where they have dealt with identity theft issues among students in the past.

"Thieves have stolen unopened credit card applications right out of mailboxes," she said, noting that these thieves have ranged from methamphetamine addicts who search through trash, to family members who have easy access to your information.

According to a research survey conducted in 2002 by Chubb Group Insurance Companies, 49 percent of today's college students receive frequent applications for credit cards, and 30 percent of those college students throw the applications away in their original condition — that is, with all the personal information intact, reported Scambusters.org, a Web site dedicated to protecting users from scams.

One way to protect personal mail is to use a locking mailbox, but there is an interesting new way to safeguard your post: Earth Class Mail.

Earth Class Mail was designed to protect people from identity theft. By turning postal mail into electronic mail. Your mail is routed to Earth Class, where it is digitized and sent to you via e-mail. All employees are security-cleared and several are handicapped veterans.

The research conducted by Chubb Group Insurance Companies also found that 30 percent of college students ignore their checking account and credit card balances, making it that much easier for thieves to get ahold of personal information.

"We've had that where students don't check their monthly bill or don't realize right away that there is a debt," Grayson said. "Say your 60 days runs out and you don't claim credit debt. Bank of America sends a letter to a collection agency, who may sue you, but you think 'I didn't do it; why should I respond?'"

Grayson recommends that students stay aware of who gets accesses information, and take action when they've been victimized.

"The majority of victims have known the thief," she said. "It takes some courage to come out and admit this."

In one case, a student had to put off studying abroad because of the legal issues in court that arose from his identity being stolen, Grayson said. Other cases have involved both the personal and financial ramifications of unknowingly sharing one's social security number with family members

Grayson's co-worker Sarah Chaplin agreed that most student cases she has seen have involved members of the victim's family.

"You see those commercials on TV of some random stranger who steals someone's identity," she said. "But this is not common."

SLS offers a free 40-minute consultation to all students, and then offers their services for a minimal fee. Both SLS and the UWPD agree about the importance of checking your credit report online, which you can do for free once a year with each of the three major credit bureaus: Equifax, Experian and TransUnion.

Taking precautions to protect your identity will save you much hassle in the long run, said Tara Burke, a Bank of America spokesperson.

"We have a variety of measures in place to protect our customers," she said. "All cards are covered as part of our Total Security Protection."

Dowrie had went to the bank to track each one of her withdrawals and verify she had made them. All of her money was eventually returned.

"It was a pain ... to deal with, very tedious and worrisome," she said.

[Reach reporter Arla Shephard at the features@thedaily.washington.edu.]