According to the FTC, 5% of the 255,000 victims of identity theft in 2005, when under the age of 18, which is up 40% compared to 3% in 2003. Most of these cases occur early with more than half occurring before the age of 6 years according to the identity theft resource Center.
Unfortunately, these cases can be difficult to follow because children are not applicable to credit or to review a credit report for suspicious activity. That said, there are steps that parents can take to reduce the risk of their children becoming victims of identity theft.
First, keep the social security cards of the hands of children. In fact, no one in your family at any age should be carrying a social security card. We recommend that you keep all your sensitive documents families a safe home safe or at least a locked cabinet.
Then keep an eye out for any suspicious mail that arrives at your home in your child's name. If credit card offers, late payment notices or other suspicious items appear, do not assume they are mistakes. Follow up with the company that sent them to determine the reason they were sent in the first place.
Finally, keep in mind that if your child can be a victim, you certainly can as well! Take proactive steps to protect your identity. We recommend you always use a protection service against identity theft as LifeLock or TrustedID keep an eye on any suspicious activity. Read our in-depth comparison and reviews of identity theft protection services for more.