The information provided on this website does not, and is not intended to, act as legal, financial or credit advice; instead, it is for general informational purposes only. Information on this website may not be current. This website may contain links to other third-party websites. Such links are only for the convenience of the reader, user or browser; we do not recommend or endorse the contents of any third-party sites. Readers of this website should contact their attorney, accountant or credit counselor to obtain advice with respect to their particular situation. No reader, user, or browser of this site should act or not act on the basis of information on this site. Always seek personal legal, financial or credit advice for your relevant jurisdiction. Only your individual attorney or advisor can provide assurances that the information contained herein – and your interpretation of it – is applicable or appropriate to your particular situation. Use of, and access to, this website or any of the links or resources contained within the site do not create an attorney-client or fiduciary relationship between the reader, user, or browser and website owner, authors, contributors, contributing firms, or their respective employers.
Credit.com receives compensation for the financial products and services advertised on this site if our users apply for and sign up for any of them. Compensation is not a factor in the substantive evaluation of any product.
When a widespread data breach happens, children are often the most at risk for identity theft. Their clean credit histories make them targets for identity thieves to steal information and open new lines of credit. After the Anthem data breach, millions of children in the U.S. had their personal information exposed, making them vulnerable to identity theft. As children are highly at risk, parents should take precautions after data breaches to prevent identity theft.
Here are three ways to protect your children from identity theft.
The first step toward protecting your child’s credit after a data breach is to request his or her credit report, according to the Federal Trade Commission. Reach out to each of the three main credit reporting bureaus, TransUnion, Experian and Equifax, and review your child’s credit history for any suspicious or unfamiliar information. Request that the bureaus remove all credit activity that is reported under your child’s name from his or her credit report, which could include credit inquiries and collection notifications. When you contact the credit reporting agencies, it is important to note whether the child is a minor.
When reviewing your child’s credit report, you may see accounts or negative items, such as late payments, that look suspicious. These and other warning signs may indicate your child is a victim of identity theft. These include your child getting pre-approved credit card offers in the mail. Another red flag is having an application for a financial account rejected from a bank because of a poor credit history, which could indicate that someone has used your child’s information without permission.
If you haven’t already, you should pull your own credit reports (you can get free annual credit reports at AnnualCreditReport.com) to check for the same identity theft signs. Also, you can monitor your credit scores for free every month on Credit.com to spot major, unexpected changes that may signal identity theft.
After a data breach, an identity thief may attempt to open new bank or credit accounts. You can either place a fraud alert or credit freeze on your child’s credit report, the FTC recommends. After requesting a fraud alert, a business must verify the identity of the person before creating an account. A credit freeze prevents identity thieves from opening new accounts by stopping unapproved creditors from accessing your credit report, which is a necessary step toward approving an application for credit. Placing a fraud alert is free and credit reporting companies may waive fees for credit freezes if you confirm your child was a victim of identity theft.
Image: iStock
October 19, 2023
Identity Theft and Scams
May 17, 2022
Identity Theft and Scams
May 20, 2021
Identity Theft and Scams