Professor charged with stealing students' IDs

[RamboLiberal]

http://www.cnn.com/2005/LAW/06/06/id.theft.ap/index.html

A community college professor has been charged with using his students' names and Social Security numbers to obtain department store credit cards.

Bradley Neil Slosberg, 49, of Winter Haven, was arrested Friday on charges of criminal use of personal identification and scheming to defraud, the Polk County Sheriff's Office said.

Slosberg and his girlfriend, Deborah Hafner, stole the identities of at least three of the students from his anatomy and physiology class at Polk Community College, sheriff's office spokeswoman Carrie Rodgers said.

Hafner, 45, filled out the credit card applications and committed the forgeries, Rodgers said. She was charged with two counts of forgery and one count each of criminal use of personal identification and scheming to defraud.

[MojoXN]

1. What a stupid asshole...

Did he think that he wouldn't get caught? Man, you'd think a professor would be smarter...

MojoXN

[libnnc]

2. remember college students...

you don't have to use your SS# for your student ID. Colleges and universities have to create a number for you if you request one.

[Xithras]

10. Faculty can typically still look them up.

Our college recently transitioned from SSN's to ID numbers as well, but that transition does nothing to protect from a criminal like this. At our college, and most others, faculty can look up records on any student they may be advising...which the computer system usually assumes to be any student enrolled in any of his or her classes. I can take the ID number of any student, do a computerized record lookup on them, and have all of their personal info...including SSN...in under 30 seconds.

Colleges and universities are often required to have your SSN on file for tax, loan, and legal purposes. While your SSN may no longer be your school ID number, it's still a part of your student record. If you have access to those records, you have access to those SSN's.

[libnnc]

13. jeez, I didn't realize it was that easy for professors to get to

that info. I just assumed that this story pertained to the SS/School ID issue--where your school ID is easily obtainable.

[Xithras]

14. The access is typically legitimate.

Most colleges and universities have some equivalent of the faculty advisor. In my case, it's not uncommon for students to approach me with questions ranging from updating or changing their major, to the applicability of their current education to their desired field of employment. In most cases, I wouldn't be able to help them if I didn't have access to their records. Since the SSN is now just a part of the record, it comes along with everything else.

To be entirely honest, the thought of stealing that data hadn't even occurred to me before. Most faculty are paid relatively well at the college level, so criminal activity is extremely uncommon (except for the art prof's smoking pot in their offices). I think that most colleges and universities simply assume a certain level of trustworthiness.

[LoZoccolo]

3. For a while at University of Michigan...

...the student IDs that they assigned everyone were just the Social Security number with another number tacked on to it. They even explained that they had to put the extra number on it to get around the law that said they couldn't use your Social Security number. I think they changed that by the time I left, but it was still a stupid idea.

[indy_azcat]

7. UM is off the SS#s

and my old alma U.Az finally got off 'em too - but alums are still ID'd by their Soc's in the system.

[expatriot]

4. this is what you get when freepers become faculty at colleges...imho nt

[movonne]

5. My thoughts exactly !!

[slackmaster]

8. My SWAG is drug addicts

Regardless of political affiliation.

[geomon666]

6. You see?

This is why we need barcodes tattooed on our skins rather than credit or money. This is why we need iris scans and DNA tests and rectal exams so we can spend money without having people stealing it from us. :sarcasm:

[Turbineguy]

9. Yeah, that's what I want.

A credit card with a "student" sized credit limit.

What a maroon!

[0007]

11. What's the difference between an instructor or a professor?

I've never know an instructor at a Junior College addressed as professor.

[Xithras]

15. Degree and tenure.

To be entirely honest, I don't think the rules are hard and fast on this one. I can tell you that typically and historically, the term "Professor" is reserved for instructors who have tenure AND a Ph.D. Since most community college instructors hold Masters degrees, it's uncommon to find people who use the term. They do exist though.

FWIW, I know of at least one instructor who uses the term despite being both adjunct AND only holding a Bachelors, and I don't think anyone's ever called him on it.

[0007]

16. Thanks for the clarity, Xithras.

[MADem]

12. This crap always seems to happen in Florida

And I guess kids today aren't being taught about identity theft--and that is bothersome, because it is a real issue nowadays. The guy actually told them to sign a sheet with their name and ssan...that would set me off right there--I'd be refusing and banging the desk at the dean's office in a nanosecond. Everyone signing the form has a look at your number!

And don't colleges issue student ID numbers nowadays? What possible use could the guy have for the SSANs?

And the guy...what an IDIOT!!! Aside from the good point made above about 'student lines of credit'....the names and numbers he has access to ALL TRACK DIRECTLY BACK TO HIM!

I never believed that kids were getting dumber, but I am concerned that they aren't being TAUGHT, if this is the calibre of teacher they have to deal with at the college level. I hope they sue the pants off that school and that teacher.

[Dudley_DUright]

17. Unfortunately I know someone that teaches at Polk Community College

but fortunately he was not the guy forging credit applications.

[pinniped]

18. I don't recall ever having to sign the roll sheet with the entire 9...

digits for the entire class to see. The last four digits is the norm.

Whatsa matter with these college students?