Most of the eight and their parents do not check their credit, and why should they? Unfortunately, this is the exact reason of the identity of a minor is so attractive to identity thieves: it's a blank slate. Unless a parent has opened a credit card in the name of her child, adds as the holder of a joint account or identity theft has already occurred, the credit of a child is clean. Since it is not in the minds of parents check their children's credit, identity theft can go undetected for years. In 2012, about 2.5% of households with children under 18 years in the US were expected to experience identity theft at some point, a number that has surely increased with the increase of identity theft overall. Fortunately, there are ways parents can protect their children from falling victim to identity theft.
Keep children safe from these identity theft tips
1. Talk to your child about information security. Children learn early to remember important information about themselves, but it is important that they understand when it is not a good idea to give the data. In addition to discussing why social security numbers, addresses, phone numbers and even their date of birth is all valuable information that they should not write or just to say whether it is wise for parents monitor their children as best they can. In the smartphone era, children are easier to communicate with people they do not know by text message, applications and other Internet resources. If you are not sure to talk to your child is old enough, consider using parental control software to help keep an eye on what they do on their devices.
2. guard their social security number. If the administration of the school or after school to request the social security number for your child, find the reasoning and see if you can avoid giving out. Similarly, when it comes time for the beginning of visits school year doctor, remember that in many cases, you are not required to provide a Social Security number when asked. If you give, make sure to know the school policy, a club or a doctor's office and how the information will be processed, stored and discarded privacy. At home, make sure that the social security cards of all family members are locked in a safe or fireproof lock.
3. Learn about the Law on the protection of man and family education. Also known as FERPA, this federal law protects the privacy of student records of your child. It gives parents the right to inspect and review the records of the education of their children, which includes all forms that the school collects containing personal information. Under FERPA, you can also choose to enable the school to share any information provided in the education records of your child for non-educational purposes. You should also know about Student Protection Rights Amendment, which allows parents to see all the materials and instruction before they are distributed to students surveys - and require parental permission before students can participate in a Department of Education-funded survey, analysis or evaluation that reveals personal information.
4. Consider signing up for a service protection against identity theft. Although they can not stop identity theft from happening, these services provide an additional layer of protection by scanning the Internet black market for personal information - such as Social Security numbers and medical IDs - and credit reports for suspicious activity. Many of the best services offer affordable family plans that allow you to protect your entire family - including your minor children. You can learn more about the best identity theft service plans for families in reading this blog.
Knowing who your child is at risk is the first step towards protecting them. Pay attention to what information is shared and who it is shared with, in addition to being on the lookout for suspicious activity, hopefully, help keep your credit nonexistent until that student he or she is ready to start building as an adult. Learn more about identity theft and more tips to protect your family by following our blog.