Though OneCard theft is not rampant on campus, thieves depleting meal funds on a stolen card does happen regularly to students, NIU officials say.

If a student finds themselves the victim of OneCard theft, there are options to stop the unauthorized usage of meal fund money.

“Sometimes, OneCards get stolen and used before the student realizes and the account is suspended,” said University Police sergeant Todd Henert. “It’s easy for people to use them because there’s no need for a pin number.”

In most instances, cards are left behind by students using the copy machines and in the library, Henert said.

“People can get them in the Rec Center because a lot of people leave their things unattended,” he said.

Leaving the OneCard unattended is risky for students in the residence halls due to its high monetary value.

“It’s just like any credit card, you have to take care of it,” said Kinga Mauger, director of OneCard services. “Once the cards leave our hands, it is the student’s job to take care of them.”

Once a card is missing and considered stolen, the first two steps are to contact the police and suspend the card, Henert said. Meal plan accounts are closed once the OneCard office is contacted by the student.

A student can either retain a temporary meal card from the residential cafeteria until the card is recovered, purchase a new card without closing the account for $15 or suspend the account with the OneCard office and make arrangements with Student Housing and Dining Services to create a new account.

Students who think their cards were stolen can seek the aid of the NIU legal facilities, but officials say that this is not the best course of action to take. Whether or not a student will be reimbursed for money lost is decided on a case by case basis.