Many times when we think of identity theft, we think of the affect it has on adults, especially those who are working. However, many thieves have focused on using the identity of children to commit their criminal acts. In many cases, by the time that any one realizes the child has been victimized, the amount of debt accumulated under that identity is astounding. This is due to the fact that many do not realize any activity has taken place until the child is old enough to try to apply for a college loan or get their own apartment. Criminals who focus on this type of identity theft will use the child’s information until the credit history is completely damaged, making it impossible for them (or the individual) to get any credit. They realize that the parents of the child, most likely will not check the credit history and will assume that the child is starting out new once they are old enough to begin needing to use their social security number to secure credit. If this has been going on for several years, it will be difficult to prove that it was a result of an identity thief and not the intention of the owner.

Credit monitoring is imperative and it is never too early to start monitoring credit for an individual. Anyone with a social security number can be a victim of identity theft, regardless of their age.

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