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Parents, add this to your back-to-school shopping list: identity theft protection tips and supplies.
It’s that hectic time of year again when you’re repeatedly asked to share your child’s personal information for school registration, sports sign-up forms and dorm move-ins.
But you may be exposing your child to fraud when you’re filling out those forms. Every year, nearly 500,000 children under the age of 18 fall victim to identity theft. Identity thieves often target kids because they have pristine credit profiles and dormant Social Security numbers (SSNs).
Before providing sensitive data to schools, daycare centers, sports programs, activity clubs, doctors’ offices and libraries, ask how the information will be used, stored, disposed and accessed. You may be surprised to find that “required” information isn’t so necessary after all.
Here are some tips to protect your school-age children.
Image: iStockphoto
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