Watch Out For Your Child's Identity

Watch Out For Your Child's Identity (Added: July 13, 2009)

Consumer advocates say you need to be aware of everything that has their name on it. (more)

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Consumer advocates warn these days you have to do more than keep a close watch on your child. They say you need to be aware of everything that has their name on it.

By: | WSPA-TV
Published: July 13, 2009

Consumer advocates warn these days you have to do more than keep a close watch on your child. They say you need to be aware of everything that has their name on it.
Patty Guthrie with Consumer Affairs says, "They don't really think that their kids could be victims of identity theft and it is a good possibility and they might not know it until many years later when this child gets top the point of applying for a drivers license or credit somewhere.
Patty Guthrie says the trend is rising across the U.S. and as the economy worsens she expects to see more cases against children here.
She says, "I had one lady who actually told me when her daughter went to get a drivers license, she found out there were already warrants out for her because someone had stolen her identity."
Guthrie says thief’s want your child's information because they probably have clean credit and you may never check to see if it is being used.
According to Guthrie, "Ooh they can start a whole new round of credit under the social security number, they can open up new accounts, they can buy cars, they can go apply for jobs. There's all sorts of things they can do with this information."
She says the best way to protect your child is know who is getting their information. Don't just give out a social security number because it is on a form.
She says, "Protect it for everything you are worth. Don't just hand it out to anybody."
That includes social networking sites like Facebook. Just from a birth date and the state your child lives in, a scammer can figure out your child's social security number.
She also says get credit checks on your child and have their credit frozen. Thanks to a new law in South Carolina you can control who looks into your child's credit. It's a free service aimed at combating identity theft. She says if parents stay savvy, their children's identity and future can stay safe. Click here for more information on freezing your child's credit.