Worrisome Facts about Identity Theft
There is a cornucopia of worrisome facts about identity theft that should have consumers running scared. Unfortunately, there is still the general mindset that this crime is something that happens to other people and therefore those with a false sense of security will continue on with their mistakes and perhaps not safeguard their data as closely as is required to be truly protected.
Perhaps one of the most concerning facts about identity theft is the rising number of cases involving the identities of minors. Since minors will not check their credit files on a yearly basis, the odds are good that crooks who have obtained a child’s social security number and birth date may continue on for years to misuse the information in any number of ways without being caught.
As the child grows into a teen and young adult and is ready to start life on their own away from home, the problems will start and the young person is confronted with an obliterated credit rating that may take years to clear up! Yet just as concerning and worrisome as these facts about identity theft may be, what is even more serious is the fact that parents and caregivers who know about the dangers do little to protect the minors.
While protection is not always readily apparent, there are some steps parents can take to prevent critical information from entering the hands of crooks. First and foremost, do not give out your child’s social security number. Other than the IRS and banking institutions, no other entity – not even schools or doctors – need your child’s social security number.
Secondly, pull your child’s credit profile on a yearly basis to ensure that no notations may be found on the files. Even as this may appear over protective, those who have suffered as young adults would have thanked their parents for practicing this due diligence.
Tags: aluminum mailboxes, decorative mailbox, identity theft prevention, locking mailboxes, security, steel mailbox