News: Child Identity Theft
Identity thieves are increasingly targeting children and stealing their social security numbers to get loans and credit. Children are most vulnerable because it can take several years before the theft gets reported. According to FTC's data, 5 percent of the complaints received last year were from people who are less than 18 years of age. Parents need to be aware of identity theft and should closely monitor their child’s SSN for any signs of theft.
Children are easy targets for ID theft. What can parents do?
Comments
I have children that are still young, but I've been concerned about them innocently giving personal information out over the Internet. They love to play on the Internet and communicate with their friends and we have strict rules at home about not disclosing any personal information including address, phone number, or other forms of information. With the proliferation of MySpace and the social aspect of the Internet, I can't believe that this threat isn't going to continue to grow. Especially, when you hear of gangs and other groups getting into it as some of your articles have disclosed.