One of the most important things a person can do to combat
id fraud is to monitor their credit report as a fraud prevention tool.
This simple step, which is free, can alert a user to any transactions that have
taken place without their authorization.
But how many of you have
thought to check your childs credit report? Im going to guess none of you
have raised your hands. According to a report done by Richard Power at Carnegie
Mellons CyLab, identity thieves are targeting children due to the unique value of
unused Social Security numbers.
Now lets get
into the numbers:
Cases
involving identities of minors 5 and under: 303
Cases
involving identities of minors from 6 to 10: 826
Cases
involving identities of minors from 11 to 14: 1,212
Cases
involving identities of minors from 15 to 18: 1,849
Cases
involving suspect name associated with a childs Social Security number: 5,497\
Cases in which
childs Social Security number appeared in loan and credit account records:
6,948
Cases in which
a childs Social Security number appeared in utility service records: 1,767
Cases in which
a childs Social Security number appeared in records related to property
assessments, deeds, mortgages and foreclosures: 537
Cases in which
a childs Social Security number appeared in drivers license records: 415
Cases in which
a childs Social Security number appeared in vehicle registration records: 235