How to prevent theft and crime on college campus

Why are college campuses targets for theft?

Like most people, college students own numerous devices and frequently take them out of their home. Electronic devices such as laptops or mobile phones are frequent targets of theft.

Thieves also target credit cards and bank cards for both monetary and identity theft. Many students also use bicycles to travel on campus, and bike theft is frequent.

“A university is considered a target-rich environment,” said Jon Barnwell, Police Superintendent at Tulane University. “Students become complacent and leave their iPhone on a table in the cafeteria or leave their room door open. It takes only eight seconds for a thief to enter an unsecured area and walk off with something.”¹

Much of campus theft isn’t premeditated, instead committed by casual thieves.

“A lot of crime is based simply on the fact that the opportunity presents itself,” said Frank Cormier, Professor of Sociology and Criminology at the University of Manitoba. “They’re willing to commit a crime, but they’re not committed to committing a crime.”²

On the identity theft side, students often find themselves using numerous unsecured Wi-Fi networks on and around campus. Young students may also not be familiar with basic protective practices, like shredding bank statements before throwing them out. These and other factors contribute to a high rate of ID theft cases targeting students.

Theft by the numbers

Unfortunately, there is no country-wide database of on-campus theft or other crimes. However, comparing stats from four of Canada’s largest universities paints a clear picture of worsening theft rates.

Between 2023 and 2024:

• the University of Toronto reported a 49% increase in bicycle thefts and a 6% increase in other thefts.³
• the University of British Columbia reported a 12% increase in bicycle thefts and a 35% increase in other thefts.⁴
• York University reported a 34% increase in incidents of theft under $5,000 of non-university property.⁵
• Western University reported a 12% increase in general theft cases. The school reported another 12% increase from 2024 to 2025.⁶

College theft prevention tips

Students must be aware that campus theft is prevalent and care for their belongings properly. Reduce the chances of being a victim with the following precautions:

Hide your valuables

Don’t leave valuable items lying around unattended in public places or unlocked residence rooms. For example, place your laptop in a desk drawer when you go next door to talk to a fellow student for a few minutes. Take your phone along when you leave your library carrel to search for a book in the stacks.

It only takes eight seconds for someone to swipe an unattended object, so beware of leaving your possessions in plain sight unattended.

Secure your belongings

Store your belongings safely. Get the best possible lock for your bicycle; titanium U-locks for bicycles are preferable to cable locks, because cables can be easily cut.

For your dormitory room, consider a mini-vault or a small security safe to store jewellery, passports, and other high-value property. This can also come in handy for credit card bills and anything else that might provide identity thieves the opportunity to copy account numbers. Just make sure the safe is either too large to carry away or securely fixed in place.

Create an inventory

Make a list of your valuable items and their serial numbers and keep it somewhere accessible.

Some universities run property registration programs that aim to prevent thefts on campus. They may provide stickers or security plates that signal to would-be thieves that the item is on file and can be traced. Sometimes, these stickers and plates are designed to leave a mark when removed, indicating to a potential buyer that the item has been stolen.

Side note: if someone offers you a deal on a laptop or phone that appears too good to be true, the item may have been stolen, so be wary.

Insure your belongings

Buy tenant insurance coverage for your valuables while you’re living away from home (assuming you’re renting a place to live).

Some home insurance policies cover students’ belongings while they’re living away from home to attend school. But that usually comes with restrictions, at the very least on the student’s age. In any case, your own tenant insurance policy will be relatively inexpensive, and you’ll start building your insurance history for future discounts.

Keep your PIN safe

Be careful when shopping online or using bank machines to ensure that your personal identification numbers (PINs) can’t be copied by others for identity theft purposes.

Although thefts on campus do happen, there’s no reason to panic. By following these simple steps and exercising due care, the likelihood of falling victim to theft is significantly less.

Preventing identity theft in college and university

Whether you’re a young student living away from home for the first time or an experienced adult returning to school, it’s important to familiarize yourself with identity theft. Identity thieves don’t just target elderly individuals — there’s plenty of data showing that students are at risk.

“Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre data suggests that individuals in their mid-20s and younger account for roughly one-third of reported fraud victims in a typical year,” said Claudiu Popa, Cybersecurity Expert and Founder of KnowledgeFlow Cybersafety Foundation. “College and university students are attractive targets for identity thieves because they’re in a phase of life where they’re constantly signing up for new things like school platforms, housing, part-time jobs, gaming accounts, and social networks.

“That creates a large digital footprint and a lot of potential entry points. Environments like online gaming and social media also make it more normal to interact with people you don’t know and share bits of personal information, which can be used in more targeted scams.”⁷

What is identity theft?

Identity theft is the theft of a person’s personal identity details, such as name, birthdate, Social Insurance Number (SIN), and banking information. Thieves then illegally use them to purchase items, obtain loans, apply for jobs, or commit other types of fraud in the victim’s name.

Many students don’t consider identity theft a crime that should concern them. After all, they have few possessions, so they don’t consider themselves targets for thieves. However, the lack of a criminal record and a good credit rating may tempt someone bent on using a new identity for fraudulent purposes.

“Students are also especially appealing because many have clean credit histories,” said Popa. “For an identity thief, that’s a blank slate, making it easier to open new accounts or take out credit without raising immediate red flags.

“On top of that, students tend to prioritize convenience by reusing passwords, clicking quickly, and not always monitoring accounts closely. Put it all together, and you have a group that’s highly connected, highly active online, and often easier to exploit without immediate detection.”⁷

Consequences of identity theft

Identity theft can be extremely harmful to the victim, even though no physical property has been stolen. An identity thief can damage their victim’s credit rating, accumulate debt in their name, and otherwise destroy their reputation.

It requires significant time, effort, and sometimes money to undo the damage that an identity thief has done. It’s not something with which a young person starting out in life wants on their to-do list.

Tips for preventing identity theft in college

Students young and old should develop good safety habits. Preventing identity theft is much easier than trying to clean up the mess afterwards.

Here are a few simple tips to protect yourself from identity thieves as a student:

Guard important information

Be very, very careful with personal information, such as your SIN and your computer passwords. Memorize them, rather than write them down. Your SIN is a key to your identity, so guard it as you would your most precious possessions.

Good password management is a topic all to itself. But, briefly, use unique passwords for every account, use long and complex passwords (or phrases), and use a password manager rather than writing them down.

Protect your important paperwork

Like anyone, students accrue all kinds of paperwork, such as forms for student loans or credit card bills, that could give thieves information they can use for identity theft. Keep sensitive papers in a locked filing cabinet or a safe.

Don’t bring your birth certificate to campus. Keep it under lock and key in a safe elsewhere, or in a safety deposit box at the bank. You won’t need it very often.

Shred old documents

Totally destroy unused documents with personal information. That might include promotions from credit card companies or any other mail that provides potential thieves with key personal information.

Use online security measures

Don’t use public, unsecured Wi-Fi for online banking or purchasing. Save it for a password-protected, secure Wi-Fi system to prevent anyone from accessing your personal information. Check that any site you purchase goods from is secure. The URL should start with “https,” though this alone is no guarantee. If you’re not sure about a site’s authenticity, don’t provide any personal information.

Dorm dangers

Your residence room may seem safe. After all, it’s your home away from home. But be careful about leaving personal information lying around. A shared residence is risky because you never know who might drop by while you’re away.

Be careful about sharing

Be wary of how much personal information you share online. Never disclose your birthday, location, or anything personal that would allow someone to ascertain clues to help them with identity theft. When in doubt, don’t share.

Check your credit score

Check your credit report on a regular basis. Many banks allow their customers to view their credit report for free. This way, you’ll quickly catch on to suspicious activity such as credit applications you didn’t make yourself.

Canada’s major credit bureaus Equifax and TransUnion also offer credit monitoring services, which will automatically alert you of unusual activity.

Be wary online

Fraudsters send emails that mimic banks or other legitimate organizations and ask you to sign in with your password. Be very careful — always check the return email address before assuming a message is legitimate.

Ignore unsolicited emails that ask for personal information. Your actual bank (or any reputable organization) won’t ask you for personal information through email.⁸ If you’re unsure about an email you receive, contact the sender by phone (but look up the number separately) to confirm they actually sent it.

Consider identity theft insurance

If you buy tenant insurance to protect your belongings, consider finding a policy that will let you add identity theft insurance as well. It will help you recover if you do have your identity stolen, including coverage for legal costs and other losses. Identity theft insurance can cost as little as a couple dollars per month.

Sources

1. “3 Easy Ways to Prevent Theft on Campus.” Consumer Reports, 1 August 2015, www.consumerreports.org/cro/news/2015/08/prevent-theft-on-campus/index.htm.
   
2. Ghimire, Shreya. “Campus Crime Stats Show Thefts on the Rise.” The Manitoban, 22 March 2016, themanitoban.com/2016/03/campus-crime-stats-show-thefts-on-the-rise/27906.
   
3. University of Toronto Campus Safety Special Constable Service. “Special Constable Annual Report 2024.” campussafety.utoronto.ca, www.campussafety.utoronto.ca/annual-reports. Accessed 27 May 2026.
   
4. The University of British Columbia. “UBCV Campus Security 2024 Report to Our Community.” Vpfo-security-2021.sites.olt.ubc.ca, vpfo-security-2021.sites.olt.ubc.ca/files/2025/06/Campus-Security-Vancouver-2024-Board-Report.pdf. Accessed 27 May 2026.
   
5. “Community Safety Department Security Incidents – Fiscal Year Comparison.” yorku.ca, www.yorku.ca/safety/wp-content/uploads/sites/78/2025/03/2023-2024-5-Year-Incident-Category-Comparison.pdf. Accessed 27 May 2026.
   
6. Chantler, William. “Campus Safety & Emergency Services Annual Report 2026.” uwo.ca, uwo.ca/campussafety/pdf/2026%20%20Campus%20Safety%20and%20Emergency%20Services%20Annual%20Report.pdf. Accessed 27 May 2026.
   
7. Popa, Claudiu. Personal interview. 6 May 2026.
   
8. Competition Bureau Canada. “The Little Black Book of Scams 2nd Edition.” competition-bureau.canada.ca, 1 March 2018, competition-bureau.canada.ca/en/little-black-book-scams-2nd-edition.
   

Want to learn more? Visit our fraud protection resource centre for dozens of helpful articles. Or, get an online quote in under 5 minutes and find out how affordable personalized coverage can be.