When Your Child is Your Identity Thief
Believe it or not, identity theft is often done by someone we know or even love. It can be a parent’s worse nightmare to hear that their identity thief is their own child and often parents will blame themselves. The most important thing to remember is that it is not your fault. Most parents have a hard time telling the police that their identity thief is their own child, but if you do not stop them, who will they rob next? By turning your child in you are giving them a strong message and a lesson in life. They need to stand for the serious crimes they are committing and stop them now, before they get out of hand. Take the following situations into consideration:
If You Report Them
By reporting your child to the police you are showing them the action that come with what they have done, not you. A police report will help you clear your records from the identity theft to restore your own good credit as well as make your child face their actions.
If You Don’t Report Them
The other situation is you do not report your child to the police. Instead you pay the debts and assume the debts are legitimate. These negative reportings will stay on your credit report for up to seven years and can ultimately destroy your credit. Your child does not learn or take any responsibility from their actions and is taught that they can easily do this again.