Of all the things you have to protect your children from, identity theft might not be your biggest worry. But now, Consumer Affairs reports it is a growing problem.
The report said close to 2 million children in the U.S. are targeted by identity thieves every year. Sadly, one of the more common ways this occurs is a parent or guardian using a child’s personal information to open accounts. Something the child usually doesn’t discover until they get older and try to apply for a credit card or buy a house.
Now scammers are branching out approaching kids where they are -- online. Consumer Affairs reports they are lurking on social media and multiplayer video games. They will often try to trick children into handing over personal information, sometimes by pretending it is part of a free giveaway or competition.
Also, children are vulnerable to document fraud. Think of how many times you have handed over your child’s personal information on a form for school, sports or camp. If those forms are stolen, it is a goldmine for thieves.
So what can you do? First, check and see if your child has a credit report. If they do -- that’s a problem. It means someone has been using their information to open accounts. Even if they don’t you can request the credit bureaus freeze their credit. For anyone younger than 16 years old, a parent or guardian will have to make that request.