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In February, the SSA invited other government agencies to comment on the proposal, which would allow the issuance of new Social Security numbers to children younger than 13 when the number is compromised by identity thieves.
Although the proposal is still informal, the FTC said in a letter to the SSA that the policy would “work to undo the harms resulting from misuse of the child’s SSN.”
[Related Article: 5 Places You Should Never Give Your Social Security Number]
Child identity theft is a serious issue in the U.S. Each year more than 142,000 cases of identity theft against minors are reviewed, the FTC pointed out in its letter supporting the proposal. Roughly 40,000 children currently have identity theft protection, but more than 10 percent of them are affected by fraudulent loans and accounts taken and opened using their Social Security numbers.
[Related Article: Lost Your Social Security Card? Here’s What to Do]
Federal regulators are also working to include children ages 14 to 17 in the proposal, as fraudulent use of a SSN is often unknown until a child reaches age 16 or older.
Image: iStockphoto
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