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With everything parents have on their minds at any given moment, securing their children’s identities might not make the priority list. Understandable as this may be, you shouldn’t make the same mistake—identity theft is more common than you might think, and millions of minors have fallen victim to it.
National Child Identity Theft Awareness Day was established to spread knowledge about this vicious crime and help parents keep their children safe from fraudsters. In this article, you’ll learn how to take advantage of this day to teach your child about ID security.
When Is National Child Identity Theft Awareness Day?
Child Identity Theft Awareness Day falls on September 1. As children go back to school, parents are reminded of the importance of educating themselves and their young ones on identity fraud.
This day was established in 2018 by Experian, one of the three major consumer credit bureaus. It’s the perfect time to focus on a few important tasks:
- Familiarizing yourself with what child identity theft is and how it occurs
- Talking to your child about identity fraud if they’re old enough to understand it
- Reviewing and upgrading your child’s identity protection measures
Quick Facts About Child Identity Theft
Javelin’s research shows that one in 50 U.S. children falls victim to identity theft annually. Identity criminals get ahold of children’s personally identifiable information (PII) in many ways, most notably through:
- Data breaches
- Physical theft of documents
- Online extraction via social engineering strategies like phishing
Children’s Social Security numbers (SSNs) are among the most frequently targeted. When a thief obtains it, they misuse the child’s identity in two ways:
- Impersonation
- Synthetic identity fraud
Impersonation is typically done to obtain government benefits or tax refunds in the child’s name. Synthetic identity fraud is far more complex—it involves combining the child’s SSN with fake information, so it’s harder to track down the perpetrator.
In many cases, child identity theft goes unnoticed until the child reaches the legal age and applies for credit. By the time this happens, the fraudster may have already damaged their credit profile, making it hard or impossible to obtain loans until the credit profile is cleaned up.
ID theft can have numerous consequences, so it’s important to talk to your child about it while they’re still young and ensure they know how to safeguard their PII.
How To Teach Your Child About Identity Theft
The sooner your child learns about identity theft, the better their chances of protecting themselves from it. If you’re not sure how to approach this topic, the following three tips can help:
- Explain what information and documents they must safeguard
- Educate them on responsible social media use
- Warn them about phishing and some of its most common forms
The Most Sensitive Documents and PII Your Child Must Protect
Make sure your child knows not to share their private documents with anyone—even those they trust. Familial identity theft and fraud committed by someone the victim knows is fairly common, so access to PII should be as limited as possible.
Teach your child which documents require the highest security, including the following:
- Social Security card
- Birth certificate
- Passport
- Medical cards
- Driver’s license
While the child is young, let them know they shouldn’t give out any PII before consulting you first. As they grow up, they’ll have better judgment as to when it’s safe to reveal it.
The Basics of Social Media Safety
Extensive social media use increases the risk of identity theft by 30%. Seeing as tweens and teens spend between four and almost nine hours per day online, it’s crucial to ensure your child knows how to stay safe.
Teach them not to post their address, phone number, or identifying documents. There’s no need to reveal anything other than their name, so make sure it stays that way. Your child should know that once they post something, it’s publicly available forever and may be redistributed before they get a chance to take it down.
They should also be cautious when forming online friendships. Strangers sometimes aren’t who they claim to be, so your child might be catfished and tricked into giving away sensitive information.
As a rule of thumb, your child should be skeptical whenever someone new seems to be asking too many questions. They might feel compelled to answer to avoid being rude, so let them know it’s fine to ignore anything they find strange or invasive.
Different Types of Phishing To Beware
Phishing is an online attack where the scammer impersonates a reputable individual or institution to extract sensitive information from the target. Some phishing tactics are quite elaborate, so looking closely for red flags is crucial.
While phishing mostly happens via email, fraudsters use other strategies to target children, most notably:
- Giveaways—The scammer launches a fake competition with a randomly chosen winner and asks for personal details to let the child enroll
- Quizzes—Fraudsters create spoof entertainment or educational quizzes that contain questions regarding the child’s information or require it to reveal the results
- Direct messages—As email isn’t a common tool among children, scammers send social media DMs from fake accounts asking for PII
Let your child know that only a handful of institutions require their SSN and other private information. Teach them to always verify message senders and avoid clicking on suspicious links.
What You Can Do To Protect Your Child’s Identity
If your child is still too young to understand identity theft and keep their information safe, you should put adequate security measures in place. The problem is that you can’t do much on your own besides storing sensitive documents in a safe place and staying on the lookout for warning signs.
This is why many parents have decided to outsource identity protection to experts. Numerous providers offer ID monitoring and similar services that help safeguard children’s PII, giving parents more peace of mind.
If this sounds appealing, Austin Capital Bank offers a solution you should check out—FreeKick. FreeKick protects your family from identity fraud and builds credit for your children.
Use FreeKick To Safeguard Your Family’s Identities
Identity theft is so widespread that a child’s identity is stolen every 30 seconds, making identity protection services invaluable. That’s where FreeKick by Austin Capital Bank comes in—this two-in-one platform protects your child’s identity and builds credit for them.
How FreeKick’s Protects Your Family’s Identities
FreeKick offers identity protection services for minors, adult children, and parents, making it a comprehensive identity protection package for your whole family. For minors, FreeKick offers the following services:
- 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
For adult children and parents, FreeKick offers:
- 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
How FreeKick Builds Credit
FreeKick builds credit for children aged 13 to 25 in three simple steps:
- Create an Account—Sign up on FreeKick.bank and choose a deposit that suits your budget
- Set It and Forget It—FreeKick will start building 12 months’ worth of credit history for your child
- Keep Growing—After 12 months, close the account without any fees (or continue building credit for your child for another year)
These steps give your child the opportunity to have five years’ worth of credit history when they turn 18. This will help them save $200,000 during their lifetimes by giving them access to better loan terms and other financial benefits.
FreeKick Pricing
FreeKick offers two pricing plans:
| FDIC-Insured Deposit | Annual Fee |
| $3,000 | $0 (Free) |
| No deposit | $149 |
Both plans offer:
- Credit building for six children aged 13 to 25
- Identity protection for two parents and six children aged 0 to 25
Secure your family’s identity and financial future—sign up for FreeKick today.
Freekick provides a double dose of financial empowerment and security for your whole family. It helps teens and young adults build strong credit profiles and offers identity motoring for up to two adult parents and six children under 25.
