In this day and age of the technological world that we live in, we need to be even more cautious than before with our identity and credit concerns. It seems like every time your turn around there is another major corporation being hacked, and our credit cards, social security numbers, and whole identities are being exposed and vulnerable to hackers. Not only do we need to keep track of our identities- but our children as well. In recent years, children and adolescents have become the fastest growing sector of identity fraud victims. Though your kids might seem like undesirable victims to identity thieves, they consider kids easy appealing targets. They have squeaky-clean credit histories, and no one is usually monitoring credit reports and they can get away with their criminal behavior for years. Some children don’t even realize they’ve became victims until they are applying for their first credit card, student or car loans.
There are a few steps you can take to ensure that your child doesn’t become a victim of identity theft. Remember – identity thieves have taken social security numbers and information from children as young as a few days old: no one is immune. Take these few necessary precautionary measures to stay worry free (at least about their credit!)
Always Ask WHY, WHO and HOW:
Unfortunately we can’t lock up our child’s social security card and birth certificate until they are 18 and throw away the key; Schools, sport clubs, and other activities sometimes require proof of birth and citizenship and need copies of birth certificates and more. Never be afraid to ask WHY they need the information. Some associations just need to prove that your child is a certain age, a citizen, and guardianship information to sign your child up. See if you can just show the info and they can confirm that the information you filled out is legit, without needing copies. If this doesn’t work be sure to ask WHO will be handling the information, or have access to it and HOW they plan to store it and keep it safe. Sometimes just putting that bug in their ear will save lots of heart ache in the long run.
Educate Your Child about Safe Internet Usage:
There is more than one reason to teach your child about the dangers of the web; but simple mistakes such as filling out information for something ‘free’ they’ve won on a pop up ad, or sharing too much info on a social media site leaves the children vulnerable to hackers and identity thieves. Teach them to always come to you when in doubt.
Keep Your Computer Virus Software Updated:
Too many times identities of adults and children alike have been stolen in a cyber attack. Always make sure that your computer virus software is up to date, and whenever possible do not store overly personal information such as social security numbers on your computer. If you do need to keep some of the information online, be sure to put it on a standby computer that is not connected to the internet.
Check out LifeLock Identity Protection Features: LifeLock Junior™ Identity Theft Protection
LifeLock is not only great for your identity/credit protection as a part, but for your children too. LifeLock Junior can be added to an adult account for just $9.99 a month.
A child’s clean and unmonitored credit file is a lottery ticket for identity thieves. Misuse and damage could go completely undetected for years. That’s why LifeLock monitors your child’s personal information with proactive protection designed specifically for children. LifeLock Junior — it’s relentless protection for your kids and peace of mind for you.
LifeLock Junior™ protection provides these important benefits:
LifeLock Identity Alert® System: We monitor over a trillion data points every day, looking for your child’s personal information in applications for credit and services. When we find something, we’ll send you an alert by text, phone or email.
Credit File Detection: The existence of credit information for a child can be a sign of identity theft. LifeLock monitors your child’s Social Security number to detect credit information associated with your child’s identity.
Black Market Website Surveillance: Identity thieves illegally buy, sell and trade personal information on black market Internet sites around the world. LifeLock patrols over 10,000 criminal websites and notifies you if your child’s Social Security number and associated personal identifying data is found.
File-Sharing Network Searches: Many children and young adults use peer-to-peer file-sharing networks to download music, photos and more. LifeLock actively searches these networks for exposure of your child’s personal information.
Live Member Support 24/7/365: U.S. based Member Services agents are available to help 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year.
Certified Resolution Support: A Certified Resolution Specialist will personally handle the case and help restore your child’s identity in the event of fraudulent activity.
$1 Million Total Service Guarantee: If your child becomes a victim of identity theft, LifeLock will spend up to $1 million to hire experts to help their recovery.
LifeLock’s new product lineup consists of LifeLock Standard™ at $9.99 per month, LifeLock Advantage at $19.99, and LifeLock Ultimate Plus at $29.99. To learn more about the upgraded product options available to consumers, visit: LifeLock.com
- Personalized activity alerts on credit card,checking and savings account transactions with LifeLock Advantage™ and LifeLock Ultimate Plus™.
- LifeLock Ultimate Plus members can receive these activity alerts on their investment accounts, adding some peace of mind against identity fraud in a digitally connected world.
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