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You might think that identity thieves focus entirely on the wealthy, but the reality is that 34% of the victims of identity theft are college students. College students can be easy prey because they don't know how to protect themselves against identity theft, because so many records and documents include personal information about them, and because of the phenomenal amount of junk mail offers...especially from credit card companies...they receive.

Todd Davis, the CEO of LifeLock, the nation's first identity theft prevention service for consumers, offered us these tips for parents and college-bound students to help protect them from becoming victims of identity thieves.

1. Purchasing and using a shredder is a must. Shred everything which can identify you before discarding it. Everything...no exceptions.

2. Residence hall rooms and student apartments often have lots of folks in them, including some relative strangers. That's why it makes sense to password protect computer files and secure documents which include your personal information. Remember, it takes only one untrustworthy person to steal your identity and cause you years of trouble.

3. Parents...college students won't order or check credit reports. So, do it for them. Before the first semester starts, parents should have their students order free credit reports to be sent to their homes. Parents can then check the reports for accuracy and identify any potential problems. Major credit bureaus are required by law to give consumers one free credit report a year. If you discover a problem on a credit report, investigate further. Be aware that checking your credit report won't prevent thieves from opening new accounts in your name, but it is a good start.

4. Because so many social security numbers and personal files are lost to indentity thieves, students should take steps, in advance, to protect themselves if their confidential information is breached by identity thieves.

5. Opt out of all junk mail, as soon as possible. Identity thieves can steal credit card offers from your mailbox or garbage (if you fail to shred), fill in the applications with your name and their address, and charge thousands of dollars of goods and services to you. It happens every day.

6. Have free fraud alerts placed on personal information. Fraud alerts, offered by the major credit bureaus at no cost, mean that credit agencies will contact you directly to get your approval whenever someone tries to open a new credit account in your name or change your address. Thus, even if a thief manages to obtain your information, you can potentially stop him or her from opening new a new account or making an address change on an existing one. You can request fraud alerts yourself, but you must renew them several times a year, and they can fail if the creditors don?t make the call (as they are supposed to). Paying a company a small monthly fee to take care of the fraud alerts for you may be a good option, especially if the company offers you an identity theft guarantee.

Identity thieves are persistent. They are constantly attempting to acquire the confidential information they need to assume your identity, but if you are vigilant and if you take some simple steps to protect yourself, you are far less likely to become one of their victims.