It’s not easy for high school kids to earn $700 in a single weekend, so when 57 Hirschi High School students were invited to help out at a Wichita Falls, Texas convention for the National Association of the Deaf, they signed on immediately.
Students were especially psyched after watching the video at the website the NAD representative referred them to. They had no hesitation about providing the rep with their Social Security numbers, driver’s license numbers, birth dates and other information.
That excitement lasted until the very last minute before their jobs were supposed to begin. That’s when they pulled into the Wichita Falls convention center parking lot, only to find there was no NAD convention scheduled there. They’d been scammed.
Contrary to conventional wisdom, people in the under-30 age group most commonly report identity theft. Surprisingly, people too young to have credit reports are among favorite targets for identity thieves because it typically takes years for their crimes to be discovered.
A 2008 study by Javelin Strategy and Research revealed that roughly 5% of all kids have credit reports tied to their Social Security numbers, meaning someone has applied for credit using their names. That amounts to 1 identity theft victim in every classroom.
LifeLock was the first identity theft company to provide services that safeguard children’s identities so that when they need credit, they can get it. Enroll using the LifeLock promo code DEFENSE and pay only $9 a month for adult protection; add your child’s protection for only $2.25 a month. Both of you will get 30 days of free protection when you sign up.
At the end of the 30-day free period, your card will be automatically billed monthly unless you cancel within that first 30-day period. You can cancel anytime without penalty by calling 1-800-LIFELOCK. This offer is for new LifeLock members only.
My son is among the 57 victimized teenagers you’ve written about. Only 6 weeks till graduation, and instead of celebrating we have this hanging over our heads. This incident has stripped our kids of the last of their innocence. How sad for them.