Know Warning Signs of Child Identity Theft

SAN FRANCISCO (12/1/05)--Identity theft crooks increasingly are targeting teenagers and even young children. Why? Because young victims may not discover the crime until years later when they open a checking account or apply for a credit card (MarketWatch.com Nov. 15).

Know the warning signs of child identity theft:

• Preapproved credit card offers arrive in the child's name;
• Credit card or other financial statements (other than those held jointly by parent and child) arrive in the child's name; and
• The child receives collection-agency notifications or calls about accounts established fraudulently in the child's name.

Know how to protect children from identity theft:

• Don't carry a child's Social Security card in your wallet or purse.
• Don't release a child's personal information without knowing who will use it and for what purpose.
• Limit the number of copies of the child's birth certificate and Social Security number you give out. The Identity Theft Resource Center recommends you ask who will have access to information and where it will be stored, even if the copies are required for participation in sports or other extracurricular activities.
• Tell the child why he or she shouldn't give out personal information, particularly on the Internet.
• Order copies of the child's credit report annually from the three main credit-reporting agencies. The report will include legitimate accounts--such as credit cards in the teenager's name--as well as unauthorized accounts and requests for credit.

Reprinted with permission from Credit Union National Association