Introduction
Identity theft, as defined by the Oxford English Dictionary, is the dishonest acquisition of personal information in order to perpetrate fraud, typically by obtaining credit, loans, etc. There has always been an issue of identity theft and the mishandling of information, but as the digital age advances it becomes increasingly easier for hackers to maliciously harvest data and information from users. An already concerning situation involving adults has now been focused on the younger generation. A generation that barely knows just how powerful the internet is and how much information gets released the second one downloads an app or creates and account.
A Deeper Look
In this blog post we will dive deeper into what child identity theft truly is and what precautions parents can take to protect their children. When walking through a airport or restaurant it seems as though every other kid is sitting there with some sort of device in hand. Parents just give these children these things so that they can have a conversation in peace. What they often times do not realize is the information that gets inputted into these apps in order to play the games. Most apps that are downloaded from the app store require a privacy policy to be accepted before using the app, but when is the last time you have heard of people actually reading this policy. In a previous blog post I wrote, I discuss what a privacy policy is and what information it allows these apps to store. By accepting these policies children are giving up their names, their addresses, and even their current location.
Identity theft has been an issue in the united states since the early 1900’s with ballot stuffing during the voting period and through the use of fake ID’s during the age of prohibition (Link to article). When the credit card came into use is when people realized just how serious of an issue identity theft is and how it is not a victimless crime. The most common forms of identity theft present today are the stealing of credit and debit cards along with social security numbers (Link to article). When debit cards become involved the situation can become even more complicated as this means the perpetrator was able to open a bank account along with possibly receiving a credit card from this account. As noted by the FTC, social security numbers can be used to open up bank accounts and this makes children especially vulnerable because when using the social security numbers of children there are no accounts under their name.
When looking deeper at this issue some startling statistics emerge. CNBC published an article noting that in 2017 more than 1 million children were victims of identity theft with almost 2/3 of those victims ranging from the age of 1-7. Additionally in a study done by Carnegie Mellon University on a sample group of over 42,000 kids, almost 2,000 of their social security numbers could be found in circulation. These numbers were used to do things ranging from opening bank accounts to even purchasing homes and automobiles. Child identity theft is so prevalent because there is not much known about it and parents are not aware of the issue until they start to get suspicious themselves. It can be very difficult for parents to be aware of the issue until they get a note in the mail of a foreclosure warning or a tax statement for their 7 year old child. Even after receiving mail, many parents might think it was just a mistake and not understand what exactly is going on. To further the situation, even if a parent does believe there is a problem: Who do they tell? Who do they contact? This allows the crime to go undetected for years, and each month that passes makes it more and more difficult for that child to recover. In Child Identity Theft: What every Parent Needs to Know, Robert Chappell has an excerpt where tells of a child who, when he was 14, discovered that he was $600,000 in debt, with multiple credit cards, and a foreclosure on a fraudulently purchased home. Although this is a extreme case, stories such as these show just how serious these issues can become if they are not stopped early.
A lot of information does not get taken directly from apps or online internet searches, instead many incidents are a result of stolen documentation. Criminals get their hands on these documents when they are insecurely moved across the internet or even physically finding and taking these documents. An alarming fact stated by CNBC said that 6 in 10 victims know the criminal personally. This makes cases even more problematic as people are usually hesitant to turn in someone that they know or who is close to them. This conundrum is exemplified through an story about a 19 year old who discovered he was $100,000 in debt and had a mortgage and this was all traced back to his own father (Chappell, 2013). These cases where the the criminal is a direct member of the family are harder to come by but it shows just how the crime can be occurring right under the family’s nose.
What can we do?
Each day that goes by people are becoming more and more aware of this relevant and disturbing issue. It is critical that parents become more educated on this issue and take the necessary precautions so that their children never have to go through situations such as these. LifeLock, a cyber security website, is trying to educate people on what to look for and who to contact. Some warnings signs are getting notices from the IRS, getting turned down for government benefits, or receiving pre-approved credit card offers in the mail. Additionally, the FTC emphasizes just how important it is to talk to schools and other organizations to make sure that all documents and information are secure along with reading documents closely and reporting all occurrences of identity theft to the FTC itself. Overall, this crime can quickly become very complicated but there are also ways to quickly minimize the issue. Parents can help protect their families by being more aware of warning signs along with educating their children on internet use. Through these techniques parents can significantly decrease the chances of receiving a foreclosure warning for their 6 year old child.
An Interview with a mother of a 19 year old and 16 year old on the precautions she took against child identity theft and what she recommends for other parents:
Works Cited
- Chappell, Robert P. Child Identity Theft: What Every Parent Needs to Know. Rowman & Littlefield, 2017.
- “Child Identity Theft.” Consumer Information, 24 Sept. 2018, https://www.consumer.ftc.gov/articles/0040-child-identity-theft.
- “History of Identity Theft.” Identity Theft Answers to Your Questions, https://www.identity-theft-answers.com/history-of-identity-theft.html.
- Kelligrant. “Identity Theft Isn’t Just an Adult Problem. Kids Are Victims, Too.” CNBC, CNBC, 24 Apr. 2018, https://www.cnbc.com/2018/04/24/child-identity-theft-is-a-growing-and-expensive-problem.html.
- Power, Richard. “Carnegie Mellon Cylab.” Carnegie Mellon Cylab, Carnegie Mellon University .
- “What Is Child Identity Theft?” LifeLock Official Site, https://www.lifelock.com/learn-identity-theft-resources-what-is-child-identity-theft.html.
Image links
https://www.army.mil/article/224287/child_identity_theft_how_did_my_6_year_old_get_a_credit_card
https://pixabay.com/illustrations/cyber-security-protection-technology-3400657/
