Posts Tagged ‘identity theft’

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How much of your child’s personal info does your school release?

Wednesday, February 1st, 2012

Police in Baton Rouge, La. have arrested a 17-year-old girl in connection with an identity theft at an area high school.

During a routine traffic stop, officers found the young woman to be in possession of several sheets of paper listing the names, dates of birth and the Social Security numbers of 159 people, all students at the school. The young woman is a former student at the school, and is believed to have obtained the printout from the school. She is accused of using the information to file fraudulent income tax returns.

The young woman was arrested with two other young people, and the trio was found in possession of Walmart gift card, which police said were obtained for credit by returning stolen merchandise.

The U.S. Department of Education has released a Notice of Proposed Rule Making under the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act, which will help provide for the increased safety of students’ personal information. Generally speaking, schools must have written permission from a parent or eligible student to release any information from a student’s educational records.

Schools can disclose, without consent, directory information like name, address, telephone number, date of birth, place of birth, honors and awards and dates of attendance. But schools must notify parents or guardians about the disclosure, and parents or guardians can request that the information be withheld.

Check with your child’s school to find out what is being done to protect your child’s personal and educational information.

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Child safety – It’s every parent’s responsibility

Monday, January 23rd, 2012

Some people think they can do what LifeLock does for themselves – and they can do it for free. But in order to monitor your information just as LifeLock does, you’d have to invest a considerable block of time. And if you’re also concerned about the identities of your family, then it will require even more time and energy.

Think about it. Child identity theft accounts for about 5 percent of all identity thefts reported each year. But that’s only the ones that are reported – there are many more that aren’t reported because the ones perpetrating the crimes are family members or friends, and it gets sticky when you point the finger at family or friends. Then there are thousands of cases each year that occur, but aren’t reported because child identity theft can go undiscovered for years.

But monitoring your children’s identities is incredibly important, because their Social Security numbers are given out almost as often as yours.

If you have LifeLock, then consider adding your kids for just a small amount per month. You can pull your child’s credit report each year as well, but the peace of mind you’ll get from knowing that LifeLock is checking 24/7 to be sure your child’s information is safe is worth the extra couple of bucks you’ll pay per month.

It’s a parent’s responsibility to watch out for the welfare of his kids. We all know to make sure they are fed, clothed, get an education and are healthy. But how often do we think about protecting their personal information? It should be on the forefront of every parent’s mind. Ignoring the possibility won’t make it go away. If you already are signed up with LifeLock, take the extra step to protect your whole family today.

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Internet contributes to identity theft among children

Monday, October 10th, 2011

If you could view a child’s identity, you’d find it free of any blemish. This is because a child’s Social Security number is protected and there has been no credit activity.

But all too often, this isn’t the case. For many young people entering adulthood, they find that what they thought was a pristine credit record and protected Social Security number was really the doorway for an identity thief to obtain loans, open lines of credit and pay bills. And they never knew it was happening during their childhood.

Identity thieves prefer to get their hands on a child’s Social Security number, because it has a clean history that can be attached to any name or date of birth. The part that really appeals to criminals is that their crimes often go unnoticed for a long time – decades even – and it’s difficult to prosecute once the crime is discovered. A savvy thief can take off by the time the kid turns 18, never to be found again.

Before the Internet, child identity theft was mostly committed by parents or relatives of kids – they used the minor’s Social Security information to make bad credit “go away.”

Since the advent of the Internet, identity theft against children has grown astronomically. Children between the ages of 8 and 18 spend an average of 10 hours a day on a variety of media – computers, video games, smartphones, tablets – and thieves know this.

Children also often spend a lot of time on social networking sites, and 41 percent of those surveyed said they’d received a “friend request” from someone they didn’t know. Thieves use sites like Facebook to get kids to share their personal information, which they use to steal their identities.

Teach your children to not talk to or accept friend invitations from people their don’t know. They should also be taught to limit the amount of personal information they share, and they should understand the privacy settings. Kids should, just like adults, use strong passwords, and should be encouraged to not share that password with anyone.

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Protect your children from identity thieves

Wednesday, September 28th, 2011

What do a 6-month-old baby and a 17-year-old teenager have in common? They can both easily fall victim to identity theft.

The first thing most parents do after bringing home their newborn is to apply for a Social Security card for the baby. Although children from infancy up through high school likely do not have credit cards or bank accounts, they are targets for identity thieves because a theft of their personal information can go undetected for years, while the thief lives high on the hog.

Identity theft statistics are not kept for victims under the age of 18, but it’s estimated that more than 500,000 children are victimized by identity thieves each year. Thieves look for Social Security information by hacking into databases kept by schools, doctors and insurance companies. Some even sell the unused numbers to people who use them to obtain credit cards or commit other crimes. Criminals can stack up huge debt, that they will most likely never have to repay – it all falls on the shoulders of your unsuspecting child.

Why do thieves like to steal the identities of children? In addition to the fact that the theft goes undetected for so long is the fact that the credit records of children are unblemished. Some thieves use their own children’s information to start over or pay bills they can’t pay themselves.

What can you do to protect your child? First of all, don’t carry the child’s Social Security card with you, and don’t give out the number unless it is absolutely necessary. Make sure you ask how the number will be used and stored, and if it will be shared with anyone else before you give it to anyone. Shred documents that contain your child’s information before disposal.

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How do I know if my kid’s SSN has been compromised?

Wednesday, June 22nd, 2011

A recent study by Carnegie Mellon showed that of 40,000 children’s identity records reviewed, 10 percent of them showed that at least one person had used the child’s Social Security number.

Although the study isn’t scientific, because it didn’t include a random sampling from the general population, it does show that children’s Social Security numbers are being targeted by identity thieves.

Why? Because children’s SSNs are unused and it is highly likely the theft will go undetected for years – and since the numbers haven’t been used, they won’t show up on any credit monitoring or identity theft protection service scans as questionable.

The Social Security Administration has made a change that may have a serious impact on this. As of June 25, the administration has changed the way it assigns SSNs. Previously, the first three digits indicated the state in which it was issued, and the fourth and fifth numbers were linked to the order in which they were issued. This made it easier for thieves to predict what new numbers would be issued. Making those numbers random will eliminate this issue.

If your child has received pre-approved credit card offers in the mail or a debt collection call, it’s likely your child’s SSN has been compromised. But even so, it’s not wise to repeatedly check with the credit reporting agencies to see if your child has a credit file. This may create a file, which would put your child at even more risk.

The better plan is to check to see if your child has a credit file when he or she becomes 16. This way, if there is an issue, you have two years to correct it before the child comes of age at 18.

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My child’s identity has been stolen – what do I do?

Monday, May 16th, 2011

If your child is receiving pre-approved credit card offers in the mail, it could be a sign that your child’s information has been compromised. If you suspect there is a problem, you should contact the three credit reporting bureaus to find out if there are credit reports attached to your child’s Social Security number.

Please note that this request should be made in writing, and the letter should include the child’s name, SSN, and parents’ names and addresses. You should also send the correspondence via certified mail, with return receipt requested. This is the only way you can prove you sent the information. If you are divorced, you should include proof that you have legal custody of the child.

If you do not receive an answer from the credit bureaus within 30 days, file a complaint with the FTC at 1-877-FTC-HELP.

To write to TransUnion, send correspondence to P.O. Box 6790, Fullerton, CA 92834. You should include a copy of the child’s birth certificate and SS card, as well as a copy of your own driver’s license or ID card.

To write to Experian, send correspondence to P.O. Box 932, Allen, TX 75013. Include a copy of the parents’ driver’s licenses, proof of address, such as a utility bill or credit card statement, and a copy of the child’s birth certificate and SS card.

To write to Equifax, send correspondence to Equifax Information Services LLC, Office of Consumer Affairs, P.O. Box 105139, Atlanta, GA 30348. Include a copy of the child’s birth certificate and SS card.

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What teens should know to prevent identity theft

Wednesday, April 20th, 2011

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How to protect your kids from identity theft

Friday, April 15th, 2011

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Parents hijacking kids’ identities

Monday, March 7th, 2011

Kids prime targets for identity theft: wpri.com

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As the school bell rings, protect your kids against ID theft

Monday, August 16th, 2010

It’s back to school time and, unfortunately, that means your child’s personal information could be at greater risk. Parents of school-age children must be aware of the growing threat of identity theft, and they must learn how to protect their children.

According to the Federal Trade Commission, 5 percent of all identity theft victims in 2008 were under the age of 1. Younger children are often targeted because the crime goes undetected for longer periods of time.

To help protect your child from identity the, follow these tips:

• Remind your children not to share personal information such as home address, phone number or Social Security numbers with strangers.
• If your child is entering kindergarten, most schools will require a birth certificate. Do not leave a copy behind.
• Most schools will ask for the child’s Social Security number, but it is more of a “like to have than a “must have.” Ask to speak to the principal if you are uncomfortable releasing this information.
• Children get excited about their new backpacks, and many include identification tags that hang on the outside that contain personal information. Instead of doing this, write the child’s first name in permanent ink on the outside of the bag.
• Teach your children how to be safe online while at school.
• Stay involved with your child’s online activities. Review and explain the privacy policies of your school with your child.
• Consider using parental control software to monitor what your children are doing online.
• Keep an eye out for any mail, particularly credit applications addressed to your child. This could indicate that someone has used your child’s information to commit identity theft.

Take a vigilant stance against identity theft for yourself and your family. Call LifeLock today.

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