subject: Child Identity Theft Protection Tips [print this page] Your pre-teen son just came to you with a bill for a car loan in his name for a car he doesnt own! Hes very upset about it, as this bill indicates that someone has stolen his identity, and the negative marks from this activity will damage his future creditability. This is a first-hand example of childrens identity theft, and it enrages you on your sons behalf. What can you do about it so your son can eventually enter the adult world of credit handling without a poor credit rating? Lets take a look at that and see if we can find some answers.
Did you know that identity theft of our children under age five has increased approximately 105% in the past year? How does that happen? Well, its not as difficult as you might think for a thief to steal your childs identity. All it takes is one glance at your childs Social Security number. A thief can use that number to set up utility accounts in your childs name, obtain a mortgage, or get a car loan. Then, once hes got the merchandise, he defaults on everything, giving your innocent child a bad credit rating when he grows up. This is totally unfair to your child, but it happens all the time.
So what can you do to ensure child identity theft protection? You must use extreme caution when online not to give your childs personal information to an unsecured web site. ID thieves poach these sites to commit their crimes against your children, leaving your kids with a poor credit score before theyre even legally old enough to obtain credit on their own! Its a bit of a process, but if your child is being held responsible for a debt, fight it through credit bureaus and have it removed from his credit record. Try not to stress out if you cannot discover who the thief is; just know that most of the time, its a close friend or relative and be careful what you say around them.
If youd like more information on protecting your childs identity, Legal-Yogi has it and is always there to help you.
