Children & Identity Theft At-A-Glance

• 5% of ID Theft Victims are under the age of 18 (2008)
• ID Theft cases among children have increased 78% over the last year, making it the fastest growing segment of the crime.
• Over half of Americans think children’s ID theft is uncommon, a major misconception.

Types of Child Related Identity Theft

• Financial ID Theft: Social Security Numbers are stolen in order to establish credit.
• Criminal ID Theft: A criminal uses a minor’s info to get a driver’s license or other documentation
• Identity Cloning: A thief uses stolen information for both financial and criminal uses.

Tips to Protect Your Children

• Educate them on the importance of protecting their information.
• Replace your child’s name with yours on things connected to your address (such as magazine subscriptions).
• Limit the extent of information held on their personal storage devices.
• Do not allow them to carry their Social Security Card.
• Warn them of the dangers of sharing passwords with friends.
• Monitor your child’s online use.

Red Flags

• Receiving credit card solicitations in your child’s name.
• Finding your child’s name is on mailing lists.
• Receive phone calls asking to speak to your child.