You have probably heard of identity theft, where someone uses your name, social security number, and other personal information to run up credit card bills, empty your bank account, or even commit other crimes. You may even take steps to protect yourself from identity theft—shredding your credit card bills, not carrying your Social Security card, etc. But did you ever think you needed to protect your children from identity thieves?

 

The fact is, children are increasingly popular targets of identity thieves. According to the Identity Theft Resource Center, 500,000 children had their identities stolen in 2005. Identity thieves like to target children because their information is often readily available and useful for many years: children often don’t discover their identities have been stolen until they grow up and begin trying to get jobs, take out car loans, and obtain mortgages.

 

While identity theft should be a concern for all parents, you can take steps to keep your children’s identities safe:

 

Your child’s important papers, including birth certificate and social security card, need to be kept locked up in a safe place. Do not carry your child’s Social Security card in your wallet. Do not give anyone your child’s birth certificate or social security number unless absolutely necessary.

 

There are legitimate times when you need to show your child’s birth certificate: for example, when you enroll your children in school, get them a passport, or apply for their first driver’s license. Sports teams also often require a birth certificate when you sign your child up. If this is a requirement, you can still take safety precautions:

 

 

If you do not feel the league is going to carefully safeguard your child’s birth certificate, you may want to find another league.

 

You will be asked for your child’s social security number even more often than the birth certificate. Many businesses, especially hospitals and doctors’ offices, still use social security numbers as identifiers.

 

Typically, the only times you should need to provide a social security number is for

 

 

If a business asks for a Social Security number, always ask why they need it.

 

You can request a free credit for your child every year from each of the three major credit reporting companies, Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion. Visit annualcreditreport.com or calling 1-877-322-8228 to order your report. Hopefully, you will find that your child does not have a credit report, which means there has been no illegal activity using his or her Social Security number.

 

You can also request an annual Social Security Earnings record for your child. This may alert you if someone uses your child’s Social Security to obtain a job. To request a report, call 1-800-772-1213 or visit www.ssa.gov/online/ssa-7004.html.

 

Educate your children about safe internet use, teaching them to keep all personal information private when they are online. Social networking sites, in particular, are havens for identity thieves, who scan these sites looking for potential victims.