A child can have personal information worth stealing long before they apply for a job or a credit card. Someone may use that information to seek benefits, open an account or obtain a service. The misuse can stay hidden if nobody has a reason to check. Protecting records and knowing what an unexpected bill means is more useful than assuming a child's age makes fraud impossible.
What can be misused
A name, date of birth, address or Social Security number can help someone pretend to be another person. The FTC describes child identity theft as misuse of sensitive information to obtain services or benefits or commit fraud. A child doesn't have to lose a physical identity document for this to happen, so keeping track of the information matters too.
A report count isn’t the total number of victims
The original article compared identity-theft reports across age groups. Such figures depend on reporting and the data collected; they shouldn't be presented as a complete count of everyone affected. Children may not discover a problem quickly. The practical reason to protect their information doesn't depend on declaring them the most or least targeted age group.
Ask why the number is needed
Before giving an organization a child's Social Security number, ask why it needs the number, how it will protect it and whether another identifier can be used. Share the information through an appropriate, verified channel rather than reply automatically to an unexpected email or text.
Protect the paper records
Keep documents with sensitive details somewhere secure. Think about what is on a form or letter before discarding it. Paper records need protection too. When a document is no longer needed, dispose of it in a way that doesn't leave the information readable in ordinary rubbish.
Treat messages and links carefully
An email or social-media message can ask a child or parent to disclose information under a convincing pretext. Avoid sending personal details through a link just because it appears to come from a school, service or company. Find an independent contact route when something is unexpected. Discuss those checks with children in language suited to their age.
Someone familiar can also misuse information
Identity theft isn't limited to strangers. A person who already has access to family records may misuse them too. A claim about how common this is should never substitute for evidence about a particular person. Keep access to sensitive records purposeful and limited, including within a household.
Watch for a bill that doesn’t fit
Unexpected collection contact, an account you didn't open or an official letter about a child's income can warrant checking. Verify the sender and ask about the record through a trusted contact route. Keep the correspondence while you establish what happened.
Don’t wait for the first adult application
A problem may surface when a young person seeks credit, but it can also appear earlier. If there is a reason to suspect misuse, follow the credit bureaus' instructions for checking a child's record. Use their verified websites or contact information. Don't send identity documents to a third party simply because it offers to investigate an alarming message.
A free freeze can help prevent new accounts
The FTC says a parent or guardian can request a free credit freeze for a child under 16. The process involves each of the three nationwide credit bureaus and its instructions for minors. A freeze makes opening new credit harder; it doesn't prevent every kind of identity misuse or remove fraudulent activity that has already happened.
Use the process that fits the child’s age
Minors aged 16 or 17 can request and remove their own security freeze under FTC guidance. Check the requirements before sending documents, and keep records of the requests. Make sure the young person knows a freeze exists as they approach legitimate applications. An adult process shouldn't be assumed to apply unchanged to a younger child.
Act on confirmed misuse
If you find fraudulent accounts, contact the companies' fraud departments and the credit bureaus to dispute them. Report the identity theft at IdentityTheft.gov for recovery guidance. Save letters and reference numbers as the issue is handled. Continue protecting the records afterward; a freeze is one useful step, while clearing an existing problem requires following through with the organizations involved.
FTC: protecting a child from identity theft
FTC: child identity theft recovery guide
