By YOUNG MONEY Staff
10 June 2010

The Federal Trade Commission recently released a set of tips aimed at young people who recently graduated from college, which may help them maintain their personal finances.

One of the tips offered by the FTC was that younger consumers should keep their information to themselves. Doing so can help prevent identity theft, which can inflict serious damage on personal finances.

"Protect your passwords, guard your credit card number, shred sensitive paperwork, and don't leave your mail where it might tempt a potential identity thief," the FTC said.

Along those lines, the commission recommended that new graduates be wary of any phone calls claiming to be from the financial institutions they deal with. Through these phishing scams, thieves pose as bank representatives that want to verify a person's account numbers, while they are actually trying to gain access to that sensitive information.

Phishing can come in a number of forms, including emails purporting to be from the government. Young people should be careful not to download any programs sent along with these bogus communications and call the company in question if they have any further concerns.