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Anyone can be a victim of identity theft. Unfortunately, because young people are less likely to monitor their credit and may make themselves especially vulnerable to identity thieves, students at all levels are a common victim of identity theft.
Do you think your child is too young to be a victim of identity theft?
think again! Whether your child is six years old and just starting school, or eighteen years old and headed off to college, he could be a target and victim of identity theft for a variety of reasons. By taking a few simple steps to protect his or her identity, you can prevent your child from becoming the next victim of identity theft.
There are several steps you can take to reduce your child’s risk of becoming a victim of identity theft. The first thing you need to do is setup a system for tracking your child’s credit. We recommend creating a credit calendar so it’s easy and free to monitor his credit and be alerted to any suspicious activity throughout the year.
Here’s how the credit calendar works to help protect your child from becoming a victim of identity theft: There are three credit bureaus, Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion, and each bureau asks you to check your child’s credit score once every year. Provides free credit report. Use your child’s credit calendar to record when you can get your child’s credit report from each agency. You will request a report on a rotating schedule from one of the three credit bureaus every four months to ensure that there are no lapses in its credit monitoring each year.
Start protecting your child from becoming a victim of identity theft today by creating your own credit calendar. Here is the contact information for the three credit bureaus:
o Equifax: 800.685.1111 and equifax.com
o Experian: 888.397.3742 and experian.com
o TransUnion: 800.680.7289 and Transunion.com
Child Credit Card Offers: Clear Signs Your Child Is a Victim of Identity Theft:
Your mail carrier may be the one to report that your child has been a victim of identity theft. If your child starts receiving credit card applications in the mail, it’s very possible that they may be a victim of identity theft. A typical scenario is that someone steals a child’s Social Security number, creates a new identity, and uses that new identity to obtain credit. Of course, this can destroy your child’s credit, not to mention his good name, before he is old enough to actually use his own credit!
So, what is the identity of that “somebody” who stole your child’s personal information and unwittingly made him a victim of identity theft? Studies show that the most common child identity thief is a close relative, which includes a parent or childcare provider. In fact, vigilance is key to protecting your child from becoming a victim of ID theft.
A Growing Threat: College students are a prime target and victim of identity theft:
By the time he’s ready for college, your child may be smart, but unfortunately, being smart doesn’t necessarily protect against becoming a victim of identity theft. According to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), the fastest and largest growing group to be victims of ID theft are people between the ages of 18 and 29.
A college student often becomes a victim of ID theft because he makes personal information available to other students, including his social security number, address, credit card number and bank account number. This information can be accessed in a number of ways, such as purchasing products on unsecured Internet sites, leaving credit card offers in plain sight in dorms, and not properly protecting student loan information.
Take Action Now To Help Your College Age Child Avoid Being A Victim Of Identity Theft!
There are several steps your college-age child can take to prevent ID theft:
o If he hasn’t already done so, now is the time to create that credit calendar to regularly track your credit with the three credit bureaus
Shred every credit card application that comes in the mail
Be careful when getting a school-branded credit card, which often includes incentives like free gift cards, T-shirts and pizza when it applies.
In addition to the damage done by identity thieves to your child’s credit, many employers also review job candidates’ credit reports. As competition for the best jobs increases, you do not want your child’s future to be jeopardized simply because you have not taken the proper precautions to avoid becoming a victim of ID theft from the time you start your education until the time you start your studies. Barti. livelihood. Whether you have a young child starting first grade or a teen ready to start college, now is the time to take action to prevent her from becoming a victim of ID theft.
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