Identity Theft Protection and Children
A child's identity is one of the easiest to steal and not get caught. As a general rule, no one is checking their credit report because, well, they're kids – they don't have any credit. So you figure they're safe. Children need identity theft protection as much as their parents do.
If an identity thief gets a child's social security number and name, they can open accounts all over and not worry about being discovered anytime soon. You don't want your children to start off their adult lives with a bad credit rating. Many times, it's hard enough just to get good credit started without having any lingering effects from an identity theft.
A thief can get personal information from school records or doctor's offices. I just read an article about a couple who had a cleaning business in Sarasota, Florida who broke into the records of doctor's offices and used the information to open credit card accounts. They had quite a little operation going.
Think of how many places that have your children's personal information. Every one of those places is an opportunity for a thief to cash in. Not only can a thief use the information for his personal gain, he can also sell it to huge networks of thieves that operate all over the world.
Your child could also be on the receiving end of identity theft by a relative who has bad credit. It's much more common than you might think for a family member to use a child's information to get credit to buy a car or get a mortgage.
Lock up your children's identity and keep them safe.
