Protecting Your Child From Identity Theft

There are many things that you can do to protect your child from identity theft.

Keep Your Identification Papers Safe
First, keep all of your child's identification papers, such as birth certificate, social security card, and passport, in a secure location, such a safe.

Educate Your Children
Second, teach your children about keeping their identity safe, both online and in person. Talk to them about what types of information are not okay to share, even with people they know.

Only Give Out SSN When Necessary
Third, don't give out your child's social security number unless you absolutely have to. Many places, including doctor's offices request a social security number even though it is not necessary for them to perform services. The only instances where a social security number is necessary is for official purposes, such as when you enroll your children in school, get them a passport, pay your taxes, open financial accounts, or when they apply for their first driver’s license and college loans.

Check Your Child's SSN Earnings Record & Credit Report Fourth, check your child's social security earnings record. Many identity thefts go undetected because parents don't think to check this type of information. Requesting these regularly can allow you to get on top of theft quickly. Here are the two things you should do annually to check the status of your child's credit"

• Request an annual Social Security Earnings record. This is the most important thing to keep track of because it can alert you if someone uses your child's Social Security to obtain a job. To request a report, call 1-800-772-1213 or visit http://www.ssa.gov/online/ssa-7004.html.
• Request a free credit report each year for your child from each of the three major credit reporting companies, Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion annually. Credit agencies don't begin a credit history on an individual until particular details are used to open a credit account. This information can include name, age, address and Social Security number. Bear in mind that this check may not alert you to abuse because names and birth dates may have been changed, so use the SSN check foremost.

Keep Software Up-To-Date
Fifth, keep your computer software and antivirus up-to-date. When software updates are released, they generally include new "patches" to keep malicious items out.