You’re likely familiar with the significant
data breaches
suffered by
AT&T
and
National Public Data
Last year. However, did you realize that data breaches can occur anywhere — including at your child’s school?
PowerSchool, which provides educational technology, experienced a data breach due to a lapse in cybersecurity.
NBC
reported. The hackers who obtained children’s personal identifying information then extorted the company, which paid the cybercriminals to keep the data from being published. The extortionists allegedly deleted the data as part of the deal, but now criminals are using the stolen PowerSchool data to try to extort school districts in the US and Canada directly.
This is not a one-off occurrence.
I hit the roof when I found out my kids’ information had been compromised in a separate data breach. It’s one thing for my information to be leaked in major data breaches, but having my children’s identities at risk felt worse.
Since 2019, one out of every eight kids has had their personal information exposed due to a data breach, and roughly 5% have experienced actual identity theft during this timeframe, as reported by the organization.
The 2024 Child & Family Cybersecurity Study from Javelin Research
.
Generally, losses from fraud and identity theft have also continued to rise, according to the Federal Trade Commission. Consumers lost $12.5 billion to fraud in 2024 — 25% more than the year prior. The FTC also received more than 1.1 million reports of identity theft received through the FTC’s IdentityTheft.gov website last year.
That’s why I locked down my children’s credit reports to prevent criminals from opening new lines of credit or other accounts under their identities. You should consider doing this as well. Here’s how you can do it.
How to Freeze Your Children’s Credit Reports
Freezing your kids’ credit reports — sometimes called a protected consumer freeze — requires significantly more work than
freezing your own
As an adult, your child’s credit can only be thawed by either you as their parent or guardian, or by the child themselves when they reach the age of 16.
You’ll need to make copies of sensitive documents and mail them. In addition, you’ll have to take the following steps with each of the major credit bureaus —
Experian, Equifax and TransUnion
Step 1: Collect all necessary documents
Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion necessitate that you submit paperwork for both yourself and your underage child. Below is a summary of all the required documents you should prepare for every credit reporting agency.
- A letter requesting a secured consumer freeze for the dependent’s credit report with TransUnion
- Completed the secured consumer freeze application forms for Experian and Equifax from their respective websites.
- A copy of a document that adequately demonstrates your authorization to act on behalf of the dependent (such as a court order, legally authorized and valid power of attorney, evidence of parenthood like a birth certificate, or a copy of a foster care certification).
- Proof of identity for you and the minor child (i.e. copies of Social Security cards, certified or official copies of a birth certificate and copy of driver’s license or other government-issued identification)
- Here’s a list of all the residential locations where you’ve lived over the past twenty-four months:
Step 2: Complete the security freeze application form
The procedure differs somewhat among credit bureaus. For Experian, you must complete the form online and then print it, but for Equifax, you need to do this differently.
print the form
And complete it manually. In either case, both must be sent along with your supporting documentation.
In the meantime, TransUnion requires you to submit a written request for a child security freeze. Fortunately, you can utilize the content from the application forms of another credit bureau as a guideline for the necessary details to incorporate into your request.
Step 3: Mail required documents via secure mail.
Every credit reporting agency asks you to submit the necessary paperwork along with their specific security freeze form (or a written request for TransUnion). Given the extensive amount of private data and delicate documents needed for these requests, it might be wise to dispatch the envelopes through secured mailing services.
The location to which you should submit documents for each credit bureau is outlined in the table below.
Typically, a credit freeze will be applied to your child’s credit reports at various bureaus within several days after they receive the notification. Additionally, you can expect to get correspondence from every credit bureau confirming that the protective freeze has been activated.
Why would you consider freezing your children’s credit reports?
My significant other and I decided to freeze our kids’ credit reports as well.
Reasons We Decided To Freeze Our Own
— to stop fraudsters and criminals from setting up new accounts under any of our names.
Children younger than 18 generally lack any data on their credit reports since they haven’t established any credit accounts. This presents identity thieves with an unblemished canvas they can exploit for their schemes, such as setting up new credit.
synthetic identities
.
Protected children’s credit freezes are less flexible than those for adults. You cannot lift them spontaneously; they require the same identification documents from the parent or guardian to confirm both parties’ identities before being removed.
We were fine with this since our teenage kids won’t be applying for credit any time soon. They can unfreeze their credit when they turn 18.
Indicators of juvenile identity fraud
If a minor younger than 18 possesses data on their credit report, this might indicate potential issues.
identity theft
They shouldn’t include anything in their credit reports unless they’re listed as authorized users.
authorized user
On your credit card, or they may have other forms of tracking which you’re aware of and have agreed to.
Fortunately, each of the major credit bureaus offers a process for checking a minor child’s credit reports for any reporting. You can use
Experian’s minor request form
To verify whether your child has a credit report, similar to how you would file one.
child identity theft inquiry
with TransUnion.
You may opt to mail a letter to Equifax asking for your child’s credit report as well.
small credit report request form
to the following address:
Equifax Information Services LLC
P.O. Box 740241
Atlanta, GA 30374-0241
Unrecognized financial accounts appearing on a child’s credit report definitely indicate
child identity theft
Other indications might not be as apparent:
- Mail suspected of being suspicious when received for a child, such as communications from businesses or invoices.
- Your child starts getting mailed offers usually reserved for adults, like pre-approved credit card applications.
- Contacting your offspring via phone regarding debts they owe, as well as receiving calls from debt collection agencies.
- Unusual communication from the IRS regarding your child, which includes alerts about outstanding tax dues or details indicating your child appears on a tax return not filed by you.
Actions to consider if you suspect your child’s identity has been compromised
If you think your child’s identity has been stolen, move quickly. Neglecting to safeguard their credit and identity could allow criminals to exacerbate the situation significantly.
If you think your child’s identity may have been stolen, follow these steps:
-
Get copies of their credit reports
Utilize the provided forms and data for each credit agency to obtain a copy of your child’s credit report. This action will reveal any accounts that have been initiated under your child’s name and provide additional specifics regarding the illicit actions. -
Contact the companies where the fraud happened
The FTC advises reaching out to the businesses that were involved in the deception as part of the fraudulent activity to inform them. If an individual has applied for a credit card using your child’s identity, you should get in touch with the credit card issuer’s fraud division to notify them about the account, allowing them to close it. -
Inform the credit reporting agencies about the fraud.
. Use
This contact information from the FTC’s IdentityTheft.gov
Website for reporting fraud to Experian, Equifax, and TransUnion. -
Report to IdentityTheft.gov
. It’s important to generate an official identity theft report through IdentityTheft.gov as well. This organization will assist you in developing a recovery strategy that includes actions to reclaim your child’s identity and can aid in safeguarding your minor’s credit going ahead. -
Put your child’s credit report on ice
To stop thieves from opening additional accounts using your child’s identity, set up a secured consumer freeze on their credit files at all three credit reporting agencies. -
Enroll in a family identity theft protection program.
I have
Identity Guard
However, multiple choices are at your disposal that have been examined by Dailyexehas. Identity theft protection services can assist in overseeing various aspects of both yours and your family’s identities through surveillance of credit reports, banking activities, the dark web, among others.
