Identity thieves prey on kids, too
By Marshall Loeb
MarketWatch
NEW YORK — It's not just adults who should be concerned about identity theft. Young children and teens are at risk, too, because they have unblemished — that is, no — credit records. So reports the Identity Theft Resource Center.
Young people are also easy targets because the theft may not be realized until years later, when the victim tries to open a bank account or apply for his or her first credit card. Some warning signs of child identity theft include:
To protect your child from identity theft:
Talk to your child about why he or she should not give out personal information, and stress the importance of safeguarding information on the Internet.
Check your child's credit report annually with any of the national credit report bureaus. It will include any legitimate accounts (if your teen has a credit card), as well as any unauthorized accounts and requests for credit.
