How To Report Social Security Fraud for Adoptive Children—A Concise Guide
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Private information of children in the foster care system is highly vulnerable because it’s often exchanged between various parties. This is why adopted children are at high risk of child identity theft and Social Security fraud.
Despite parents’ efforts to protect their children, many fall victim to fraud each year. If this is the case with your child, you probably want to know How to report Social Security fraud for adopted children.
To help you go through this stressful process as efficiently as possible, this guide will show you where to turn for help. You’ll also learn how to fortify the security of your child’s information through ID theft protection services.
Why Foster Children Fall Victim to Fraud
Foster children are sometimes eligible for Social Security benefits, especially if they’re disabled. Around 5% of children are in this situation, and they’re among the most vulnerable groups fraudsters target.
Social Security fraud involving foster children can take numerous forms, but two are particularly noteworthy:
- Abusing the role of a representative payee to steal the child’s funds
- Filing claims using the child’s stolen Social Security number (SSN)
The second scenario is especially dangerous because minors’ identities often aren’t monitored. This means that someone who obtains the child’s SSN can commit various crimes besides Social Security fraud, such as the following:
- Illegally receiving unemployment benefits
- Filing tax returns to steal reimbursements
- Obtaining fraudulent loans in the child’s name
The main reason all of the above crimes happen is that foster children can’t safeguard their personally identifiable information (PII). If the child has been in and out of the system many times, their PII has changed many hands, which increases the risk of identity theft.
Where and How To Report Social Security Fraud
If you suspect your adopted child is a fraud victim—or has already suffered the consequences of this crime—you should reach out to the Social Security Administration (SSA) as soon as possible. The SSA’s Office of the Inspector General (OIG) handles fraud cases, and you can submit a report online.
You can also call OIG at 1-800-269-0271 if you need more immediate assistance or mail your report to Social Security Fraud Hotline, P.O. Box 17785, Baltimore, MD 21235-7785. These options may be more suitable if you’re reporting fraud anonymously in case it doesn’t involve you or your child directly.
Whichever way you report fraud, you’ll need to provide the child’s details alongside your own. In the case of adopted children, it’s particularly important to show proof of custody over the child.
The SSA also advises to be as detailed as possible when describing the fraud. If you know who the perpetrator is, provide all the information that could help the relevant authorities track them.
What About Identity Theft?
If the fraud aimed at your child goes beyond Social Security matters and involves identity theft, you’ll need to contact the Federal Trade Commission (FTC). Some of the signs your child’s identity has been compromised include the following:
- Your child has a credit profile without a legitimate credit history
- They receive notices from the IRS in their name
- They get unexpected bills
You can report fraudulent activity online through the FTC’s dedicated ID theft portal. Note that this is different from FTC’s fraud reporting channel, which doesn’t resolve individual reports. If you need assistance, make sure to file the report to the right platform.
The next steps will vary depending on the specifics of the crime, but the FTC will give you an action plan you can follow. They also let you open an account with them so that they can support you along the way.
How To Prevent Fraud in the Future
Remediating Social Security fraud is complicated and stressful, so you should take the right steps toward ensuring it doesn’t happen again, most notably:
- Change your child’s SSN after adoption
- Consider identity monitoring services
Apply for a New SSN for Your Child
The SSA is aware of the many dangers foster children are exposed to when it comes to fraud, so it lets you get a new SSN for your child once the adoption process is over. If you still haven’t done this, it’s certainly a wise move because it can wipe the slate clean and counter the issue of the child’s original SSN having been exchanged many times in the past.
To obtain a new SSN for your child, you need to find a local SSA office and schedule an in-person meeting. You can use this locator if you’re not sure where the nearest office is.
You’ll also need to gather the necessary documents, including the following:
- Proof of identity (yours and the child’s)
- The child’s birth certificate
- Adoption paperwork
The SSA will ask you to fill out the SS-5 form, which is the same one used for obtaining the original SSN. If all goes well, you should receive the new number and SSN card six to twelve weeks after the application.
Use a Monitoring Service To Protect the Child’s Information
As mentioned, Social Security fraud is only one of the many ways someone can abuse your child’s private information. One in 50 U.S. children falls victim to identity theft annually, which speaks volumes about the importance of keeping your child’s PII out of harm’s way.
Doing this independently can be quite overwhelming because there’s a lot of ground to cover. You’d need to regularly check for signs of identity theft to ensure you don’t miss any red flags, which involves many time-consuming tasks, such as:
- Contacting credit bureaus to ensure someone hasn’t created a credit profile and obtained loans using the child’s information
- Checking for tax fraud by reaching out to the IRS
- Continuous monitoring of the documents containing your child’s PII
Most parents are far too busy to take on such responsibilities, so seeking expert help can be a good idea. Identity protection services give you peace of mind by ensuring your child’s information is monitored ongoingly using various advanced tools and techniques.
If this sounds appealing, check out FreeKick—a comprehensive solution created by Austin Capital Bank.
Never Fall Victim to Identity Theft With FreeKick
With a child’s identity being stolen every 30 seconds, this crime is more common than you might think—and it’s important to take every precaution you can. That’s where FreeKick by Austin Capital Bank comes in—it’s a two-in-one platform that protects your family’s identities and helps build credit for your children.
How FreeKick Protects Identity
FreeKick offers multiple identity protection features for both adults and minors. For you and your adult children, FreeKick offers the following services:
- Credit profile monitoring
- SSN monitoring
- Dark web monitoring for personal information
- Up to $1 million identity theft insurance
- Full-service white-glove concierge credit restoration
- Lost wallet protection
- Court records monitoring
- Change of address monitoring
- Non-credit (Payday) loan monitoring
- Free FICO® Score monthly
- FICO® Score factors
- Experian credit report monthly
For minor children, FreeKick offers:
- Credit profile monitoring
- Social Security number (SSN) monitoring
- Dark web monitoring for children’s personal information
- Up to $1 million identity theft insurance
- Full-service white-glove concierge credit restoration
- Sex offender monitoring—based on sponsor parent’s address
How FreeKick Builds Credit
Once you’ve secured your family’s identities, it’s time to think about their financial future.
With FreeKick’s credit building service, which is available for children aged 13 to 25, you can give your child up to five years of credit history once they turn 18. This will help them save $200,000 during their lifetimes by giving them access to more favorable loan terms and other financial perks.
You have to take three steps:
- Create an Account—Go to FreeKick.bank, sign up for an account, and choose a deposit amount you’re comfortable with
- Set It and Forget It—FreeKick will automatically start building 12 months’ worth of credit history for your children
- Keep Growing—After 12 months, you can close the account without any fees or continue building credit for your family for another year
FreeKick Pricing
FreeKick offers flexible pricing. There are two plans you can choose from:
| FDIC-Insured Deposit | Annual Fee |
| $3,000 | $0 (Free) |
| No deposit | $149 |
Each plan offers:
- Credit building for six children aged 13 to 25
- Identity protection for two parents and six children aged 0 to 25
Protect your family from identity theft and financial hardship—sign up for FreeKick today.
