Child's Play

Remember the 80s and 90s these were the days of horror movie killers? They invoked fear with just there mere presence. There was Freddy, Jason, Michael Myers and who could forget Chucky. Chucky was a doll that was possessed by a famed serial killer Charles Lee "Chucky" Ray. Although Chucky was originally a toy, once he was overtaken by Ray he didn't play any games & had a crude sense of humor. In the last three years, there have been 57,000 cases of child identity theft reported to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC). A new report from All Clear ID estimates that one in 10 U.S. children are victims. Apparently thieves aren't playing any games and posses a crude sense of humor as well. Imagine your child trying to start a new life with their spouse or in their freshman year of college only to find that their identity has been stolen. Furthermore upon further investigation they find out they are in hundreds or even thousands of dollars worth of debt. As responsible adults of course we can shred unwanted credit card offers, create enigma passwords to protect ourselves but imagine if its our children that are the target of these identification sharpshooters. Unfortunately this is no Hollywood tale of horror fiction, as in most cases the crime is not detected to several years later. Now thats scary! Here are some tips to stay safe and secure.

1. Keep your children's important documentation in a safe deposit box or in a safe place at your home. This includes birth certificates, social security cards and medical records.
2. Contact Equifax, TransUnion and Experian to request a free copy of your child's credit report. The will probably ask for you to prove your relationship to the child with a birth certificate if your child is not of legal age to request their own reports.
3. Once you receive the credit reports, carefully review the credit report for any errors. If some errors are located then promptly contact the FTC (www.ftc.gov), Internal Revenue Service (www.irs.gov) and the Internet Crime Complaint Center (www.ic3.gov) to your report your child's identity theft. Keeping an eye on your child's identity may be a full time job but the damage that you can prevent will be well worth the effort. For more information on opening a safe deposit box, contact your local bank or credit union.