Protect Your Children From Child Identity Theft

Identity Theft is today's fastest growing crime, and Child Identity Theft is even easier to commit and easier still to get away with.

An estimated 9 Million (and growing) Americans have had their identities stolen with long term serious consquences. Having one's identity stolen is a serious legal crime but it is also one of the most psychologically dehumanizing things that can occur to anyone.

Children and teens comprise the fastest-growing segment of identity theft victims. For young victims the damage can be even more devastating.

WHY IDENTITY THIEVES TARGET CHILDREN

Child Identity Theft gives the Thief Two Very Desirable Advantages:

One, children have clean credit records, making it easy for the criminal to create new accounts. Two, because most parents don't check to see if their child has a credit record, the crime can go undetected for years.

Many cases of the theft aren't discovered until many years later, for example when the youngster apples for a driver's license or first job. In effect, once an identity thief has his or her hands on a child's personal information a criminal can run with it for many years undetected.

HOW IDENTITY THIEVES STEAL CHILD IDENTIFICATION

Most children are now issued Social Security numbers early in life, often at birth. There are a number of places children's personal information, including Social Security numbers, may be vulnerable, including:

Hospital records and physicians' offices

School records

Day care centers

Library cards

Sports team applications

Online social networks, in which thieves coax information from teens

In effect, once an identity thief has his or her hands on a child's personal information it is like a blank check the criminal can cash in on for years.

THE DAMAGE IDENTITY THEFT POSES TO YOUNGSTERS

Child identity theft typically involves the creation of new accounts, which enables thieves to exploit the pristine state of young victims' credit histories. According to the Federal Trade Commission, new account fraud causes considerably more harm to victims in both out-of-pocket expense and the time it takes to repair the damage.

Consequences identity theft victims face include:

Getting collection notices in the child's name

Having arrest warrants in your child's name

Having medical databases in your child's name that affect their ability to qualify for health insurance coverage

Difficulty getting accepted into college

Difficulty in opening a savings account

Difficulty in applying for a driver's license

Inability to land a job

Lost and damaged credit

As you can see, the adverse effects of child identity theft can be quite severe, and can follow the victim for untold stressful years.

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