Identity Theft Resource Center Fact Sheet 120 - Identity Thef...

Child Identity Theft occurs when a child’s identity is used by another person for the imposter’s personal gain. The perpetrator may be a family member or someone known by the family. It could also be a stranger who purposely targets children because of the lengthy time between the theft of the information and the discovery of the crime.

There are some cases that appear to be identity theft but are not. Receiving a pre-approved credit card offer in your child’s name might upset you as a parent. However, it might only be an innocent marketing tool sent by an affiliate of your bank because you opened a college fund for your child. A quick check of credit reports will help you sort out the truth. Currently, all three reporting agencies are automated systems. You should call them (numbers at end) and request a credit report for your child. If you are told that there is no credit report, this is probably not a case of financial identity theft.

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Financial identity theft: This most commonly occurs when the Social Security Number (SSN) and name is used to establish new lines of credit.

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Criminal identity theft: This typically occurs when a person “borrows” the information of the minor to get a driver’s license or uses the child’s identity when caught in a criminal act. This person may be an illegal immigrant who bought the information or a relative who has had a license suspended or revoked.

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Identity Cloning: Cloning is when a identity thief uses an identity for financial, criminal, and governmental purposes. Most frequently, profilers have people in positions where they are able to collect information about minors and then sell it on the black market. The most frequent purchasers of this information, in our experience, are illegal immigrants or people who are trying to “restart” their lives and avoid arrest

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