How Can I Protect My Child From Identity Theft?

Sheila B: I was just wondering how would I know if someone was using my kids social security number? How can I prevent this from happening?

JW: Sheila, it’s hard to believe, but more and more minors are becoming victims of Identity Theft. This is a good scam for fraud artists, because most people aren’t thinking about their kids’ credit until they approach 18. But in many cases kids whose identities are stolen are very young, which means these crimes could go undetected for many years. So, how can you protect your child’s personal information? We found some great tips from researchers at the University of Florida.

First of all, try not to carry your child’s social security card, or let them carry it, and complain if their school uses their social security number to identify them. Make sure you talk to your kids about not sharing too much personal information online, and about the dangers of “phishing” – those emails from scam artists that ask for personal information. Monitor any mail coming in for your kids, because credit card offers or debt collection notices could mean that there’s already a problem with your child’s identity. Check with each of the credit bureaus to see if a credit report exists in the names of each of your kids, and if so ask for a copy.