Not many people might have thought about it but the easiest victims of identity thefts are usually the children owing to the fact that they are hardly monitored until they have reached an age where in they can apply for a credit card or a loan. Children become an easy target for the thieves to apply for credits or pay bills. These days, faking an identification card is very easy and many workers are not qualified or trained enough to recognize the fake IDs.
Is My Child Prone to Identity Theft?
Yes. It’s one of the areas of greatest increase because today one in ten children are victims of it somehow. Therefore, it is important to protect your kids.
Surely you’re wondering how these thieves manage to get this information if children do not shop online or use e – mail as often as adults do. Remember that there are certain things, such as social security card or number thereof, these thieves manage to obtain. Another important fact: about a third of identity theft is committed by friends or family members.
To check the credit of your child, you need to write to the three national credit bureaus and ask them if they have a file with the Social Security number for your child. They will ask you to include copies of your birth certificate or other information to confirm your identity. If you learn that there is a report with the social security number for your child, you should inform immediately to these offices that it is fraudulent. Note that you should make the complaint in writing to record your complaint.
These credit bureaus should add a fraud alert to the file, but you will have to confirm that you have.
The second step is to approach your local Social Security (Social Security Administration). As a mom or dad, you are entitled to ask them to check that no one is working with the number that belongs to your son. If you find that is the case, you should ask that give a new number. In turn, you should make a formal police report. Another possible solution for long term is to get registered with identification theft insurance and services. Lifelock is a renowned name in this category and lifelock codes have made it easier to purchase membership with them.
Else, once you get a new social security number, your child will begin his record with no history of credit ratings. Credit bureaus will cancel your old number, so not committing fraud continues with it. Another important fact: it is a good idea to start this process before your child turns 16 years as the child will be looking to enter a university and will manage the order of bank loans.
It takes about two years to complete the process of receiving a new number. If you think your child has been a victim of fraud, you should ask your credit report several times a year to the three national credit bureaus. Remember that children are not eligible to receive these reports for free. If you do the order and cannot find a file with the number of your child you will not have to pay them.