CLEVELAND – For students headed back for the fall semester shredders are topping the list of college essentials. An inexpensive cross-cut shredder can go a long way to helping students protect themselves from identity theft and fraud. A survey by the Federal Trade Commission found that nearly 10 million Americans – including 500,000 young adults – discovered they were identity theft victims last year, and the total cost of this crime was $50 billion. Students are also encouraged to shred all financial information before discarding, including all mailed financial offers such as the unsolicited credit card offers that bombard students. In addition, students are advised to guard against leaving checkbooks, credit cards or mail lying around school lockers, college dorm rooms or shared apartments, providing easy access to their finances.