Child Identity Theft is a Growing Concern
More and more young children our becoming victims of identity theft at an alarming rate. Often times they are completely unaware of the theft until many years later. They do not find out until they attempt to get a college loan, credit card, or purchase a car and are denied.
Hundreds of online businesses are finding inactive Social Security numbers online, mostly assigned to children 18 and younger who have not even started using them. These Social Security numbers are being sold under different names to help people establish fake credit. The scheme may lead to significant debts and poor credit ratings.
Unfortunately child identity theft is often not discovered for many years after it has occurred. You can, however, be vigilant in preventing your child’s Social Security number from being used indiscriminately. If an organization requests your child’s Social Security number, ask why and if another number can be used instead.
Educate your child about identity theft and how to prevent it. Watch for indicators that there may be a problem, such as your child receiving pre-approved credit card offers or calls from collection agencies. Credit monitoring is also a great tool because you can review your credit at anytime and receive an alert if someone is uses your personal information
Similar Posts:
- Effective Means of Reporting and Fixing Identity Theft
- Parents – Important Tips to Legally Protect Your Kids
- what is the process of clearing my credit after being a victim of identity theft?
- Protect Loved Ones from Identity Theft Scams
- If I start a service with an identity theft company, and they find that I have had some identity theft that I am unaware of, how is that fixed? Will they help to correct the problem? Will they deny service until it is fixed?
