With incidents of identity theft growing every year, parents need to be aware that youngsters and teenagers are easy targets, especially since the identity theft may not be discovered until years later. The victim often does not learn of the problem until the first time that he or she tries to open a bank account or a credit card.
Parents need to be on the watch for warning signs of child identity theft, including: pre-approved credit card offers arriving in the mail in the name of the child, bills or collection notices being sent in the name of a child, being unable to open a savings account or college fund because an account already exists with the child’s social security number (
http://childcare.about.com/od/childsafe2/a/idtheft.htm?p=1).
According to the Identity Theft Resource Center (
http://www.idtheftcenter.org/), parents should take the following measures to protect children from identity theft:
- Be cautious with the release of your child’s personal information. In other words, ask why it’s needed. If personal information is absolutely necessary, find out how the information will be kept secure and/or how long it will be stored. Is there a procedure for destroying the documents or information when it’s no longer needed?
- Don’t carry your child’s Social Security card in your purse or wallet. Memorize the number and keep the original document in a safe place.
- Teach older children to be cautious about providing personal information and make sure they understand not to provide it over the Internet or to anyone without first checking with a parent.
- As an extra level of security, you may also periodically check your child’s credit report.