{"id":39390,"date":"2018-08-02T12:49:11","date_gmt":"2018-08-02T17:49:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/resource-center.hrblock.com\/?p=39390"},"modified":"2021-08-11T12:19:35","modified_gmt":"2021-08-11T17:19:35","slug":"child-identity-theft-are-your-kids-at-risk","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/hrbcomlnp.hrblock.com\/tax-center\/irs\/tax-fraud\/child-identity-theft-are-your-kids-at-risk\/","title":{"rendered":"Child Identity Theft \u2013 Are Your Kids at Risk?"},"content":{"rendered":"

We live in a day and age where data is always available at our fingertips. But when it\u2019s your children\u2019s data that is available to identity thieves, there could be significant issues you may not notice for years.<\/p>\n

Recent Trends in Child Identity Theft<\/strong><\/p>\n

According to a recent study completed by Javelin Strategy and Research<\/a>, a million minors were victims of child identity theft in 2017. That means nearly 13% of children in the United States could already be victims, and we may not yet know the full extent.<\/p>\n

We saw an all-time high for data breaches in 2017 and that included personal information of children, not just adults. This information can then be bought and sold on the dark web, the Black Market of the internet, for just a few dollars.<\/p>\n

Why is Child Identity Theft on the Rise?<\/strong><\/p>\n

With a child\u2019s Social Security number, a fraudster can create a fictitious, or \u201csynthetic\u201d ID, create a credit file, and apply for credit using your child\u2019s information.  Unless you check your child\u2019s credit \u2013 an uncommon practice \u2013 you may not realize this has happened until it is too late.<\/p>\n

With your child\u2019s information, someone could also file a fraudulent return using your child as a dependent, potentially receiving credits and deductions from the IRS they aren\u2019t entitled to.  Subsequently, your tax return and your refund could be held up with the IRS for months while they sort it out.<\/p>\n

How to Protect Your Child from Identity Theft<\/strong><\/p>\n

Child identity theft protection is something you can proactively do with these tips:<\/p>\n

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  1. Check their credit report regularly<\/strong>. Get their free report once per year at annualcreditreport.com<\/a>. Note: there are additional verification requirements for children under the age of 14.<\/li>\n
  2. Purchase Tax Identity Shield\u00ae<\/sup><\/strong><\/a> for your minor dependents<\/strong>. If your minor dependents are Tax Identity Shield\u00ae<\/sup> members, they can take advantage of the following benefits.\n