Identity theft is the No. 1 crime in America right now, according to a company called Identity Truth, and college students are prime targets to be the 27 people who have their identities stolen every day.

Bob Foley, a customer service representative for Identity Truth, said college students are more susceptible to identity theft because of the frequency with which they use their debit and credit cards.

Brittany Schwartz (sophomore-business) said upon arriving at school, her father advised her of the dangers of identity theft.

"[He tells] me to be careful where I'm using [credit cards] and not to spend too much money and to keep my receipts in a safe place ... because identity theft is obviously out there," she said.

Eighty million people have had their identities stolen in the past year, Foley said.

Schwartz said she signed up for a credit card to build credit.

"I can use it for shopping or anytime I go out ... pretty much when I don't have cash," she said, adding she prefers to use her credit card instead of her debit because she can pay the bill all at once at the end of the month.

Sheila Gordon, director of victim services at the Identity Theft Resource Center, said credit card companies target students to open new accounts.

"A lot of students are establishing new accounts and lines of credit," she said.

Gordon encourages students to be savvy when establishing new accounts.

"[Students should know] where their information is going, how it is stored, how and who has access to it, and when [companies] are through with that information, how it is disposed of," she said.

Foley recommends students who frequently use their credit cards to sign up for some free services to check their credit.

"There are steps you can take to protect yourself," he said.

Foley recommends students pull a credit report once a year and make sure the information on it is in fact theirs.

He said it is important to enable fraud alerts through credit bureaus and also to check the social security statement that is given to students.

The Identity Truth Web site cautions students against sharing personal information on social networking Web sites like Facebook and MySpace.

"If your profile is public and contains your name, address and date of birth, you've given criminals a head-start on stealing your identity," according to the Web site.

Identity Truth advises customers against using social security numbers as any type of log-in name or password and against responding to text messages or e-mails asking for personal information.

"Unfortunately it is easier for people to get a hold of their information that way, than paying with cash," he said.

Some credit card companies offer identity protection services but typically at additional costs, Foley said.

Foley recommends students keep up with their balance online and take advantage of a yearly free credit report.

"We want you to protect your identity and not just your credit," Foley said.