Even if he isn’t old enough to drive, your child might already have a history of bad credit and illegal employment—courtesy of identity thieves. Worst of all, many kid victims won’t know it for years, until they apply for a driver’s license, a loan or a job and are rejected when a background check uncovers arrests or outstanding debts, says Linda Foley, co-executive director of the Identity Theft Resource Center, a nonprofit group in San Diego, California, that assists victims. The Federal Trade Commission has only tracked this type of identity theft since 1999 but has noted steady growth in the category.

How can you protect your child? Be highly selective about the people to whom you provide your child’s personal information. Safeguard her Social Security number: It’s rarely necessary to divulge it, even to register for public school. If you get credit card applications in your child’s name, run them through a crosscut shredder before throwing them out. Finally, discuss identity theft in an age-appropriate way with your child, reminding him not to give out identifying information online.

Copyright 2006 by Ladies Home Journal Magazine. All rights reserved.
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