When Your Child is a Victim of Identity Theft
If you have seen the signs that your child may be a victim of identity theft, the next step is to help their credit recover and clear their name. In a case of childhood identity theft, it is up to the parents to take immediate action and clear their child’s name before the damage becomes too great.
Credit Reports
In the event you believe your child is a victim of identity theft, you must report this information to all three credit reporting agencies (Experian, Equifax and TransUnion). Request copies of your child’s credit reports if there are any listed. If your child is under the age of 18, the credit reporting agency will remove their credit profile and flag their social security number from any further fraudulent use.
Police Reports
Once you have evidence that your child’s identity has been used fraudulent, you will need to contact the police department immediately and file a police report or an “Identity Theft Report”. A police report will add to the credibility of your child’s name and yours as you try to clear up any effects from the identity theft.
Challenge Fraudulent Information
After you have gotten copies of your child’s credit reports and a police report, you need to challenge any fraudulent information you find on their credit reports. Keep a detailed log of who you speak to and what the debt is regarding. Keep all documents pertaining to the identity theft in an organized folder and do not let them out of your sight or become unorganized. Be sure to talk to fraud investigators within a creditor’s company instead of a general customer service agent.
By recovering your child’s identity early and effectively, you will give them the best opportunity to have a good credit profile later in life when they will actually need it.