Children are especially vulnerable to a new form of identity theft – synthetic – which now makes up 85 percent of cases and means thieves use combinations of real and fake information to take out loans, get credit cards, purchase cars, collect unemployment, and much more. And it’s grown 233 percent over five years.
Kids are often targeted, because it’s an amalgamation of different identities (name, Social Security number, etc.) and 86 percent of parents don’t look at their kids’ credit report or other reports that would alert them to fraud – a key reason why the problem is growing and can go undetected for years until the damage is already done.
How can parents protect their kids? Security.org (https://
https://www.security.org/
- Don’t give out SSNs whenever requested. Camps, caregivers, and schools must have a good reason to ask for kids' SSNs. Often, they do not. Leave SSN fields blank.
- Be very selective about who can access personal data. Typically, child victims of synthetic identity theft know the perpetrator. That’s why it’s important to keep your child’s Social Security card and number locked up so friends, grandparents, aunts, uncles, and others can’t wander in and easily access them.
- Shred documents that contain sensitive data.
- Wipe data from old computers, cellphones, or tablets before disposing of them.
- Check with your child’s school about their cybersecurity policies and encourage them to strengthen their standards. Also, find out how they protect your child’s data during online educational activities.
- Teach your kids what’s appropriate to share when chatting with people online: Explain to your kids that they should not share home addresses, phone numbers, SSNs, and other data online, and monitor their online activities.
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