7 Steps to Prevent Child Identity Theft

Your child’s spotless credit record can be a target for identity thieves who need access to credit, utilities, or employment.

Identity thieves can obtain a child’s personal information in a number of places. Follow these tips to help keep your child’s information from getting into the wrong hands.

1. Keep your profile on social networking sites free of private information, like your address, family member names, and date of birth. Make sure your children are doing the same by regularly monitoring their profiles. Make sure all of the privacy settings on social networking sites are set so that your profile can only be viewed by friends and family, not the general public. Visit OnGuardOnline.gov to learn more about your parental rights on protecting your children’s information online.
2. Make sure anti-virus software and spyware is installed on your computer, and monitor your child internet usage and e-mails. StaySafeOnline.org has some good tips for staying safe on the internet.
3. Resist giving out your child’s Social Security number unless absolutely required. This includes to schools, which can sometimes use an alternate set of digits to identity your child. Places like the local recreation center, summer camps, and other organizations do not need your child’s SSN. Leave the SSN field blank on forms, and only supply it if the organization follows up. 
4. If a relative asks for your child’s personal information to set up a monetary gift fund in their name, ask for documentation of the account before handing over the SSN and other required info. 
5. Don’t carry your child’s Social Security card or number with you. Keep it locked up, and only access it when you need it.
6. Shred any document that you no longer need that contains your child’s private information.
7. Check your child’s credit every few years. Children under 13 years of age shouldn't have a credit report in their name, so ideally there won't be anything to check.

Related links:

How to Get Your Child’s Credit Report

Child Identity Theft