Protecting children from ID theft
With kids back in school, an Atlanta-based credit bureau urges parents to protect their children’s identities.
Last year, the Federal Trade Commission received more than 11 thousand complaints of people gaining access to the social security numbers of people 19 years old and under.
Sometimes, security holes help ID thieves get information from legitimate organizations.
“Just because an organization asks for it doesn’t necessarily mean that they have to have it,” said Equifax personal solutions President Trey Loughran.
Loughran says schools, doctor’s offices and other organizations often ask for a student’s social security number. However, he recommends parents give other identification if possible. That’s because children, Loughran says, have a harder time than adults recovering from ID theft.
“Often, it may be years before that’s uncovered and many times not until the child goes to apply for credit,” said Loughran.
If your child’s ID has been stolen, he recommends reporting it to credit bureaus and law enforcement agencies.
For More Information:
Child Identity Theft Education Kit from Equifax (PDF)
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