Children are at risk of identity theft — here’s how to protect them
COLUMBUS — In an effort to curb identity theft of children, Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost is advising parents to proactively place a freeze on their child's credit report.
Child identity theft occurs when someone fraudulently uses a child's identity to fraudulently open accounts or receive benefits. The imposter may be a family member, friend or a stranger and may use the child's name and Social Security number to open new accounts for cellphones, utilities, credit cards and even mortgages.
"A victim's age doesn't matter to identity thieves, so parents need to utilize all the available tools to protect their children," Yost said. "A freeze on your children's credit report is free and can provide that security to lock out scammers."
The Federal Trade Commission found there were more than 14,000 victims of identity theft under age 19, according to its latest report.
Thieves can get away with using a child's identity for years because children typically do not try to check or access credit. As a result, child identity theft usually is not discovered until the child applies for college financial aid, a car loan or employment.
A freeze restricts credit reporting agencies from releasing information about the child, making it more difficult for an imposter to use the child's personal information to be approved for credit, loans or services. To place a child security freeze, a parent should contact each of the credit reporting agencies — Equifax, Experian and TransUnion. The parent must provide proof of authority to act on behalf of the child, such as a birth certificate and proof of identity for both the child and the adult.
It is free to place or lift a security freeze. Once in place, the freeze will remain in effect unless it is lifted by the parent or by the child after reaching age 16.
This story was originally published March 8, 2021 at 3:58 AM with the headline "Children are at risk of identity theft — here’s how to protect them."