Child ID Theft

With all the things parents have to worry about when it comes to protecting our children, it just doesn't seem right that we should have to worry about someone stealing our child's identity. Unfortunately, we do need to be on the look out for this possible problem.

A recent study on child identity theft by Carnegie Mellon University Cylab found a child only five months old that was a victim of identity theft. What a horrible surprise years later for that child to have problems getting a student loan or job because of a credit rating ruined by a stranger!

What can you do to try to protect your children from this problem? One free resource is AnnualCreditReport.com, the official site to help consumers to obtain their free credit report. Don't be fooled by websites with similar names that sound free, but actually charge a fee.

A new website IDTheftinfo.org also has helpful information and links. It was created by the Consumer Federation of America to help you learn how to reduce the chances of becoming a victim, detect identity theft quickly if it does happen, and deal with the consequences.

Click here for a link to resources at the Des Plaines Public Library.