How to See if Your Child's Identity Is Being Used

Identity theft is a rising problem, and children are not immune from becoming victims. Identity thieves often target children because they will not be needing credit until they are older and they do not generally monitor their credit reports. The ease and access of the Internet allows thieves to quickly find Social Security numbers to obtain credit and report earnings. Parents must remain vigilant, guarding their children's identity and future credit possibilities.

Things You'll Need

  • Child's Social Security number

Instructions

    • 1

      Pay attention to warning signs that your child's identity may be being used. Be wary of identity theft if your child receives credit card offers in the mail. According to Christina Berk, news editor for CNBC.com, calls from collection agencies also serve as red flags.

    • 2

      Call the Social Security Administration. CNBC.com advises that the Social Security Administration can verify whether your child's Social Security number is being used to report income. If someone is reporting income on a child's Social Security number, identity theft can be confirmed.

    • 3

      Contact the Internal Revenue Service if someone has used your child's number to file for tax purposes. Some identity thieves will use a fraudulent Social Security number to file income taxes to receive a return.

    • 4

      Request a search of your child's name by an identity protection service. These services will run a search to check for your child's name among credit reports.

    • 5

      Call the Federal Trade Commission or go to its website. According to the Social Security Administration, the FTC can provide further information on how to protect against identity theft and how to proceed once theft has been confirmed.

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