Page 14 - November Issue 10 24 14_Neat
P. 14
Courtesy of 2.bp.blogspot.com
Child Identity Theft
by Randy Vezina
"Children shouldn't have to sacrifice so that you can have the life
you want. you make sacrifices so your children can have the life that
they deserve.."
-Ritu Ghatourey
When a child is born, a parent may apply for a Social Security number for that child. A
child's Social Security number is very much sought after by identity thieves. The child identity
thief could be a family member such as an uncle, aunt, cousin or another adult who has access
and is allowed in your home. They could be someone who has stolen your mail or hacked into
your computer. We think we know who the child identity thief could be, but we don't.
Most parents apply for the baby's SSN so that they can claim the child on their taxes and you
must submit the SSN on the oficial tax forms, so now, anybody who has the means to see that
tax form can copy the child's information. The child's identity could be stolen at the hospital
or at a health professionals' ofice. What about the dishonest legal professional who sells the
child's identity to an unscrupulous client. It does not matter what profession a person is in, they
have the potential to be dishonest.
The thief could be anybody. Typically, you’re not going to check your child's credit rating
(why would you), so you’re not going to know their identity has been stolen. Now the identity
thief has more than a decade to create a new identity and gain credit cards, loans, cell phones,
utilities, bank accounts, driver’s license etc. The crime is not discovered until your child has
grown up and applies for their irst education loan, apartment, credit card or job! By now, the
trail has become ice cold and your child's credit record has been cut to ribbons. In all likelihood
all of the accounts opened in their name have been purchased by a collection agency.
14
Child Identity Theft
by Randy Vezina
"Children shouldn't have to sacrifice so that you can have the life
you want. you make sacrifices so your children can have the life that
they deserve.."
-Ritu Ghatourey
When a child is born, a parent may apply for a Social Security number for that child. A
child's Social Security number is very much sought after by identity thieves. The child identity
thief could be a family member such as an uncle, aunt, cousin or another adult who has access
and is allowed in your home. They could be someone who has stolen your mail or hacked into
your computer. We think we know who the child identity thief could be, but we don't.
Most parents apply for the baby's SSN so that they can claim the child on their taxes and you
must submit the SSN on the oficial tax forms, so now, anybody who has the means to see that
tax form can copy the child's information. The child's identity could be stolen at the hospital
or at a health professionals' ofice. What about the dishonest legal professional who sells the
child's identity to an unscrupulous client. It does not matter what profession a person is in, they
have the potential to be dishonest.
The thief could be anybody. Typically, you’re not going to check your child's credit rating
(why would you), so you’re not going to know their identity has been stolen. Now the identity
thief has more than a decade to create a new identity and gain credit cards, loans, cell phones,
utilities, bank accounts, driver’s license etc. The crime is not discovered until your child has
grown up and applies for their irst education loan, apartment, credit card or job! By now, the
trail has become ice cold and your child's credit record has been cut to ribbons. In all likelihood
all of the accounts opened in their name have been purchased by a collection agency.
14
