Keep your Family Secure. Protect Your Child from Identity Theft!

Twenty years ago, identity theft was nonexistent. It is now becoming one of the top crimes committed in America and rising.

100 million people have already become victims of identity theft, while the current population of the United States is 300 million. Therefore 1 out of 3 people are at risk to becoming a victim. Even if they try to be careful with their records, they are still at risk every time they use a credit card or open a checking account or even carry their wallet around.

According to the Federal Trade Commission, 9.9 million people were victims of identity theft at the end of 2006, and this number does not seem to be declining.

The total identity fraud losses reported to the FTC maxed at $1.1 billion. Identity theft is the number one source of consumer complaints.

Also, the average victim will spend approximately 175 hours, and $1000.00, correcting their record, not to mention the hours of heartache and loss.

The sad statistic is that 5-7% of identity theft victims are children and this number is greatly deflated. Most child victims will not find out about the crimes committed against them until they are old enough to apply for a credit card or a driver's license, and by then it is too late.

Unfortunately identity theft thieves are becoming more and more clever these days as their target has broadened to children. Children do not always understand how to prevent identity theft, which makes them a prime target.

This is a sad thought, but very true. Most proponents of identity theft see your child as a target as they have a "fresh" social security number" in which they can use to build up their own credit.

Furthermore, the credit bureaus do not store information, solely based on your child's social security number. They do not take their information from the social security administration. They only display recent actions against your credit, which by that time will be too late.

The sad statistic is that thieves will slowly build up your child's credit and may even pay the credit bills in the beginning. They then receive the pre-approved credit offers and make higher charges at that time. Unfortunately, by the time your child is ready to apply for a credit card, their credit record will already be ruined. It could take them years to pull themselves out of that mess.

Although identity theft protection is best left to a credible agency, there are a few things you can do to protect yourself and your family.

FOR THE PARENTS:

Use a Shredder

Make sure to shred all or any paperwork detailing your address, name, credit card numbers, ssn, checking account. Basically, when in doubt, shred it.

Do not give out your social security number.

There are a few instances when you may need to give your ssn, but if you are ever in doubt, do not give it and check into the establishment first.

Do not give out your social security number over the phone. My friend was applying for a cell phone 2 year commitment for a reputable company and she gave them her ssn. She later found a $3000 charge on her credit card. Be smart and don't be pressured.

Avoid giving out your computer passwords.

Your passwords should be kept to your self. If you cannot remember them, keep them in a safe. Do not keep your passwords in your wallet or laying around.

Do not give out personal information on the web to an unsecure site.

Make sure the website has a secure certificate. You should view the certificate every time you make an order. It should include 128 bit encryption or higher and the dates on the certificate should be current. Also, make sure that the web address contains an "s" after the http:// on the order page. It should look like this: https://www.businessname.com.

Identity Theft Protection for your child:

Watch your child on the computer

Keep an eye on the information your child is displaying in the internet chat rooms, blog comments, or myspace pages. They should never give out their full name, address, credit card information, or display their private email address. Their name and email address should only be reserved for friends and hidden from everyone else. Thieves can get information from unsuspecting kids who answer friend requests on myspace or who are involved in internet chat rooms.
Educate your kids on what they should be keeping private!

Be careful of file sharing programs such as Mapster and Kazaa

If you are not careful, the people who you or your child are sharing files with could potentially have access to all of the files on your computer. It might be wise to store your personal files on a separate computer than the ones in which the files are being shared.

Also, you might be able to set the security preferences of the program so that the other users can only access the files you are sharing.

In addition, the newer computers come with a tool for encrypting personal information. If your computer does not have this capability, you can purchase a user-friendly computer encryption software.

Do not use their full name and school title

Make sure your child does not include their full school name and their own name in any programs they are a part of. This information should be kept private or only seen by friends you trust.

Identity theft thieves can take this information and pretend to be a parent or grandparent and will be able to access your private records.

If you are still unsure and nervous about keeping your family secure and protecting your child from identity theft, then there are many programs that you can join that can give you identity theft protection and the peace of mind you are looking for.

Lifelock is the industry leader in identity theft protection and for only $10 a month they guarantee their service for up to $1,000,000. They are half the price of "Family Secure" and they also have dedicated services for your child.

The reason why I prefer them is they have identity theft protection services specifically designed for your child. They were the first company to develop this program. It only costs $25 / year when one parent is a subscriber. That is only $2.08 a month. You can't even get a cup of coffee or a gallon of gas for that much.

You may not even know when your identity is being stolen. You may have been turned down for a loan, or contacted by a collection agency. These may be signs of identity theft, and Lifelock will be able to warn you before it happens.