Child identity theft can stay hidden for years because most children have no credit history. A stolen Social Security number may be used long before the child applies for a first loan, apartment, or credit card.
Does this affect you?
Use this for parents and guardians in the United States who suspect a minor’s Social Security number or personal information has been used for credit, taxes, benefits, or accounts.
Watch for warning signs
Many signs arrive as mail or official notices.
- Credit card offers, bills, or collection notices addressed to your child.
- IRS notices saying more than one tax return used your child’s Social Security number or that the number was already claimed as a dependent.
- Denial of benefits because the child’s Social Security number appears elsewhere.
- Collection calls or letters about a debt in the child’s name.
- Jury duty, driver license, or voter registration mail for a child who is too young.
Check and fix a suspected case
A child usually should not have a credit file at all.
- Request a manual credit check for the child from Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion. Bureaus usually require a written request with the child’s Social Security number, birth certificate, and your ID.
- If a credit file exists, request a free security freeze for the minor.
- Report identity theft at identitytheft.gov and create an FTC Identity Theft Report.
- Use the FTC report to dispute fraudulent accounts with creditors and the credit bureau reporting them.
- If the child’s Social Security number was used on a fraudulent tax return, contact the IRS Identity Protection Specialized Unit and follow instructions for Form 14039.
More control
Limit where the SSN is stored
Schools, doctors, camps, and sports leagues may ask for a full Social Security number when they do not need it. Ask whether the last four digits or another ID can be used.
Freeze before there is trouble
Parents can often request a credit freeze for a minor even without known theft. Since children normally do not need credit, freezing closes the door early.
Check before adulthood
Around age 16 or 17, request a manual credit check even without warning signs so any old fraud can be cleaned up before the child needs real credit.
Keep a paper trail
Save bureau letters, creditor disputes, the FTC report, IRS forms, and notes from calls. Child identity theft cleanup can take months.
Sources
- FTC – Child identity theft
- IdentityTheft.gov – Report identity theft
- Social Security Administration – Identity theft and your Social Security number