BBB Tip of the Week

Children are prime targets for identity thieves because their credit history is clean and theft of a child’s identity may not be detected for years. If your child has a credit report with any of the three credit bureaus (Equifax, Experian and TransUnion), then this is a red flag that his or her identity has been stolen.

Some other signs that your child’s identity was likely stolen include bills, pre-approved credit card offers or medical statements addressed to your child; an IRS notice that your child didn’t pay income taxes or that his or her Social Security number was used on someone else’s tax return; and a notice of a data breach from an institution that shouldn’t have your child’s information at all.

The Better Business Bureau and Federal Trade Commission offer the following tips to safeguard your child’s information:

• Periodically check that no credit report exists for your child. By checking when your child is around 16 years old, you have enough time to repair the damage, if their identity has been stolen, before they enter adulthood.

• Keep all paper documentation with your child’s personal information in a safe location.

• Make sure electronic records with personal information are password protected. If kept on a computer hard drive, make sure your operating system and antivirus software are up to date.

• When prompted to share your child’s SSN, whether at a school, dentist’s or doctor’s office, ask why it is needed and how it will be protected. Ask if a different identifier can be used, such as just the last four digits.

• Shred before you toss or recycle any documents with personal information.

• Consider situations that put your child at risk of identity theft. Some examples include family, friends or roommates who may be looking for a clean credit slate; a lost wallet, purse or paperwork containing personal information; and home and vehicle break-ins, including stolen computers and mobile devices.

For more information about preventing child identity theft, visit the FTC’s Consumer Information website at http://1.usa.gov/1fhb5TC. If your child is the victim of identity theft, the FTC provides the steps you need to take to repair the damage at http://1.usa.gov/18EyNoB.

For more tips you can trust, visit www.bbb.org/blog/, or call (509) 455-4200.

By Erin T. Dodge, BBB editor