We are all aware that scammers are out to steal our identity but something we may not realize is that these same criminals are out to steal the identity of our children.
When Scammers steal your child’s sensitive information — name, date of birth, and Social Security number they use it to apply for credit cards and loans, apply for government benefits, sign up for utility services, file fraudulent tax returns, unlawfully gain employment, or rent a place to live.
Because parents and guardians don’t monitor a minor’s credit and most children don’t have a credit file, identity theft can go undetected for years, it may be much later when the child tries to apply for credit, obtain a driver’s license, apply for a student loan or other service that they discover their identity has been stolen. Recovering from identity theft can be a long expensive process.
The Child Safety Kit scam is when a scammer contacts the parents by phone, text, email, social media or in person. They offer a “child safety kit” stating that law enforcement can quickly locate a child in an emergency with the information contained in the kits.
They request personal information about the child including their full name, address, birthdate, Social Security number and other sensitive information. They seem legitimate and may mention working with law enforcement. Although there are legitimate agencies that offer child safety kits you should never respond to anyone offering this service. If you are interested in obtaining a safety kit reach out to a legitimate organization yourself.
The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children does work with law enforcement to provide parents and guardians with child safety kits. If you are interested in receiving one of these kits contact your local police or sheriff’s department, they can assist you in obtaining the kit.
Ready.gov provides a free template that you can use to record detailed information about your children to create your own child safety kit.
The FBI has a free Child ID app, created by the FBI, it provides a convenient place to electronically store photos and other vital information about your children.
https://www.fbi.gov/news/apps/child-id-app
How to protect your children
Never provide your child’s personal information to anyone who contacts you requesting it.
Don’t post your children’s pictures or personal information on social media.
Never allow strangers into your home. Be suspicious of anyone who shows up at your door asking for personal information or trying to sell you something.
Take precautions to protect your child’s identity. Typically, minors will not have a credit report, but if a parent or guardian has added the minor as an authorized user or joint account holder, the minor may have a legitimate credit history. Another reason a minor may have a credit report is if their identity has been stolen. Contact the three major credit bureaus, Experian, Equifax and Transunion if you suspect this has happened, all three have resources available to help you.
https://www.transunion.com/fraud-victim-resources/child-identity-theft
https://www.equifax.com/personal/education/identity-theft/child-identity-theft/
https://www.experian.com/help/minor-request.html
To prevent identity theft, place a security freeze on the child’s credit report.
The Tech Minimalist 