Identity theft up in the U-District

As a freshman living on 18th Ave., Amanda Costello didn't pay much attention to the "bums" raiding her trash --until she found out someone had gotten a hold of her Social Security number.

"I tried to open a bank account, and I couldn't do it," Costello, now a junior, said. "I'm pretty careful about that stuff now."

She isn't alone. Records from the Seattle Police Department (SPD) show the number of fraud cases reported in the U-District have risen by 50 percent since 2000.

According to SPD records, the problem is concentrated in the area of the Greek system directly north of campus, west of 15th Avenue N.E. and south of 50th Ave. N.E.

Although the region comprises only one of the precinct's 14 census tracts, it is the location of more than one-quarter of fraud cases that occur in the University Precinct each month.

The UW Police Department is aware of the problem and working to combat it, said assistant chief Ray Wittmier.

"It's really been picking up, especially in the Greek system," Wittmier said. "Lately, there have been a lot of meth users going through the trash, looking for ways to fund their addiction."

In response, Wittmier said the UWPD plans to launch a campaign educating students about the dangers of identity theft.

Christine Ingebritsen, acting dean and acting vice provost of undergraduate education, expressed concern to the UWPD about suspicious activity north of campus last month. Ingebritsen, who lives in that area, said she regularly sees people rifling through residents' garbage receptacles, engaging in "what is very obviously identity theft."

"This is a change from the past," Ingebritsen said. "In the last six months, the frequency of it has intensified."

Ingebritsen said the rise in fraud cases is a sign that the U-District is becoming more urbanized.

"As the acting dean of undergraduate education, I feel it is my responsibility to make sure students are aware they are entering an urban neighborhood, and must protect themselves accordingly," she said.

Some students said they have begun to notice the problem as well.

"I definitely hear people going through the trash in the alley late at night," said Khedron Frank, a medical school applicant who lives on 15th Avenue. "I wasn't even thinking about identity theft, though -- I just assumed they were looking for cans."

UWPD officer Peter Celms said identity thieves single out college students because many of them don't know how to guard their personal information.

"A lot of them are having to deal with mail for the first time," Celms said. "They're starting their lives up. Unfortunately, there's an element out there that has learned they are good targets."

Wittmier said credit card companies also solicit student business more heavily than other demographics, sending them large volumes of "pre-approved" credit cards that others can easily steal.

"They get all these applications, and if they don't need one at the moment, they just toss it in the trash," Wittmier said. "Then, if a thief gets enough of their personal information, [he or she] will apply for a credit card in their name using a different address."

Dumpster divers sometimes find enough additional information about a person in mailboxes or on the Internet to open accounts in the person's name, Wittmier said. The thieves can then use the account online or at any retail facility that doesn't check for photo identification.

"There's plenty of places where you can use a card without ID," Wittmier said. "When was the last time you got your ID checked at a gas station? It can create incredible headaches for years to come."

Some complex managers have started locking trash and recycling bins to protect against identity thieves, said King County Waste Management worker Cesario Garcia.

"There's not much else you can do," Garcia said. "People call the police but by the time they come, they've gone."

Wittmier said to stay safe, all students should lock their mailboxes and shred documents before throwing them away.

"Everybody nowadays should have some sort of secure mailbox," he said. "Having one that's opened and unlocked is just crazy."