How to Protect My Child's Identity
- 1). Keep your child's social security card and birth certificate under lock and key, either in your home or in a safe deposit box at your local bank. Do not carry these documents with you, and do not allow your child to carry them either.
- 2). Exercise caution when giving out your child's SSN. If a school, hospital or government agency asks for your child's SSN as an identifier, ask if this is necessary and if there is an alternative. Get information about how they will store this information and who will have access to it. Voice your objection to giving out such crucial personal information.
- 3). Speak to your child about the importance of keeping personal information private. Explain identity theft and how seemingly innocent conversations on social networking sites can give away vital information that others can misuse. Instruct him to seek your permission before he shares details including, date of birth, SSN, bank account number, password, PIN number or any other personal data with anyone, even if it appears to be an official query.
Explain the need to avoid passwords that are obvious, such as names, date of birth, SSN or mother's maiden name. Teach your child to keep personal devices, such as cell phones and laptops, safe and secure. - 4). Look out for incoming mail, such as credit card offers and debt collection notices, addressed to your child. If you have a bank account in your child's name, the credit card offer may be nothing unusual, but a debt collection notice should ring alarm bells.
To confirm if someone is misusing your child's identity, check with one of the three major credit reporting bureaus: Experian, Equifax and TransUnion. Ask if they have a credit report in your child's name. If they confirm that there is one, request a copy. If the bureau reports that a credit report exists, but cannot confirm the identity of your child, it may indicate that someone is using your child's SSN with a different name or address. - 5). Report any evidence of identity theft immediately to the credit reporting agencies and ask them to place a fraud alert on the credit record. Get in touch with the creditors who may be named in the credit report. Contact the government social security office to request a new SSN for your child and, if necessary, file a police report.
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