PROTECT YOUR KIDS FROM IDENTITY THIEVES

You are probably worn out being advised to take precautions against id theft, but here is a wrinkle may very well not have thought about: Identity thieves have widened their reach by harvesting children's dormant Social Security numbers (SSNs) and utilizing these to illegally obtain jobs, credit accounts, mortgages or auto loans, and a lot worse.
Many affected individuals have no inkling anything at all is wrong until they later apply for a student loan, banking account, job or apartment and are turned down because of bad credit history. Some households have even been hounded by collection agencies or served with arrest warrants because the debts or criminal actions thieves executed were so overwhelming. There is no completely foolproof method to protect your child's identity, but here are some safeguards you can take:




Although it's tempting to simply not register your children for SSNs until they turn 18, that isn't practical in today's world. For one thing, children need one if you want to claim them as dependents for your taxes. Additionally they might need one if you want to obtain medical coverage or government services on their behalf or open banking accounts or savings bonds in their name.




Most parents register their kids for SSNs concurrently when they make an application for birth certificates at the hospital. In the event you wait until later to apply, you must provide evidence of your son or daughter's U.S. citizenship, age and identity, in addition to evidence of your own identity.







Because each person's SSN is unique, it is not uncommon for schools, healthcare providers, and insurance providers, among others, to call for parents to provide one as an identification tool. However, do not be afraid to ask:




-- Why do they need an SSN? What is the legal requirement and if so, what is it?
-- Will they accept alternative identification?
-- What will happen if you don't disclose it?
-- What security precautions do they take with personal information?
-- Will they agree not to use the SSN as your child's personal identification number on correspondence, account statements or ID cards?




Warning signs your child's personal data could have been jeopardized include:
-- Preapproved credit account offers.
-- Calls from collection agencies, creditors or government agencies.
-- You're denied opening a bank account in their name because one already exists with the same SSN.
-- They are denied credit, employment, a driver's license or college enrollment for unknown or credit-related reasons.
There may be legit reasons why your child is receiving credit offers. For example, if you opened a college fund or they signed up for a frequent flyer program.
However, if you strongly suspect an identity theft has been committed, you can:
-- File a police report and keep a copy as proof of the crime.



-- Contact the fraud units at the three major credit bureaus for instructions: Equifax (800-525-6285), Experian (888-397-3742) and TransUnion (800-680-7289).



-- Notify the Federal Trade Commission (877-438-4338). Their Identity Theft site at www.ftc.gov contains information on fraud alerts, credit freezes, working with police and much more.



-- Ask Social Security (800-772-1213) whether anyone has reported income using your child's SSN. Search "Identity Theft" at www.ssa.gov for information.



-- Contact the IRS' Identity Protection Unit (800-980-4490).



Bottom line: Use the same precautions with your child's personal information as you do with your own and make sure you know the warning signs and what to do if it's compromised.