Bill Protecting Children from Identity Theft Passes House
On Wednesday, March 19th, the South Carolina House of Representatives passed a bill to protect children from identity theft by allowing their parents to put a security freeze on their child’s credit report.
Currently, parents do not have access to their children’s credit reports or scores, since children do not technically have credit. The bill, however, allows parents to call three credit reporting agencies, who could create a file for the child and then put a freeze on that file, which would allow potential identity theft to be flagged.
Spokeswoman for the South Carolina Department of Consumer Affairs, Juliana Harris, said, “A security freeze is really a great tool and it basically puts the credit report on lockdown. So you’re the only person that’s able to access your credit report. That means creditors wouldn’t be able to issue credit in your name without you thawing or lifting the freeze.”
“Their Social Security numbers are on their parents’ income tax returns, so somebody could steal their Social Security number and use it for 18 years. And they don’t know it until they go buy a car or whatever and then they find out all these years somebody’s been using their Social Security number and run up their credit, had bad credit,” Sen. Katrina Shealy said. She introduced the bill last year after the South Carolina Department of Revenue suffered a major hack attack that led to several instances of identity theft based on tax records, which include social security numbers for dependent children.
The bill also allows guardians to place freezes on credit reports for vulnerable adults.
The identity theft protection bill passed the Senate last year, but stalled in the House on a debate over whether or not a credit freeze fee should apply.
Protect Yourself and Your Children from Social Security Identity Theft
Child social security identity theft is a growing problem. It occurs when someone—a family member, friend, or stranger—obtains the child’s social security number and establishes lines of credit, driver’s licenses, or abuses the child’s identity in other ways.
Here are a few tips to protect your child from social security identity theft:Don’t carry your child’s Social Security card around with you. Memorize the number, and have your child memorize their own number when they are old enough to need it:
- Use a cross-cut shredder to destroy documents with your child’s full name and other identifying details, including date of birth.
- If you’re notified by letter that your child’s personal information has been compromised, first confirm that the letter is legitimate. If so, take advantage of any free identity protection services offered and contact the three credit bureaus.
- If you have several children and one is a victim of identity theft, closely monitor the personal information of your other children.
- Make sure your kids use passwords for their smartphones and tablets, and make sure they change the passwords frequently. Also, remind them not to give out passwords to friends, and make sure they do not post personal information online or on social media.
Identity Theft and Credit Card Fraud Can Hurt Your Future
If you have experienced identity theft, you are not alone. The attorneys at the Strom Law Firm can help clear your name and even reinstate your social security benefits. We offer free, confidential consultations to discuss the facts of your case. Do not hesitate to contact us. 803.252.4800.
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