Page 62 - Cyber Warnings

It will also monitor your financials and alert you when a new account is opened in your
name.

Be sure to check out consumer reviews to see which identity theft software is best for
your needs.

Why you shouldn’t run a credit report on your child:
Reading this might tempt you to open a new tab on your browser and run a credit report search
on your child, but you should refrain from this unless you have a strong suspicion that your
child’s identity has been compromised.

It’s counterintuitive, but opening running a credit report actually increases the chances of your
child becoming a victim of identity theft.

You cannot check a minor’s credit report through the major credit reporting bureaus, the way
you can for adults, so you will need to send your child’s personal information through the mail,
thereby increasing the chances that your child’s information will be intercepted.

Further, the credit report will only be able to tell you what activity has been done using your
child’s SSN and birthdate.

Thieves will often falsify a birthdate, meaning many parents end up with a false sense of
security because the report will not run checks using the child’s SSN and other dates of birth.

Protect more than just the SSN:

Even the most careful parent can have a child who falls victim to medical identity theft. This
problem is on the rise as health care costs increase. Minors are often given their own health
insurance cards, which thieves use to create accounts to purchase prescription medication.
Protect your child’s insurance card the same way you protect his social security card.

For more information about protecting your child’s identity, visit ConsumerAffairs.com.

About the Author

Kate Williams, Ph.D., is a consumer advocate whose work covers a wide
range of topics dedicated to expanding consumer awareness. Williams, a
former victim of identity theft and concerned mother of two, is committed to
educating parents about protecting their children and their private
information in the digital age.

62 Cyber Warnings E-Magazine – February 2016 Edition
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