SAN ANTONIO – Checking a child’s credit score or history is not something many parents do, which is why criminals are taking advantage of this and using minors’ information to steal their identities.
Alexander Aguillen with RBFCU said victims might not know they have been targeted until they try to open a bank account, apply for a credit card, or take out a college loan.
Aguillen urges parents and guardians to secure their children’s sensitive documents. Pay attention to any letters about data breaches that might have compromised your or your child’s information.
“You’re going to want to contact the institution first to find out the level of the breach to see what exactly was exposed. It should include that in the notification, but it’s always good just to double check,” Aguillen said. “After that, you’re going to want to contact the three major credit bureaus. Run a full credit file on both yours and your child’s Social Security number, which parents don’t often do. A lot of times they just focus on their information, not even thinking that their child’s information could have been exposed or even used.”
Aguillen also warns parents to be cautious about the information shared online, on social media, iPads, and video games. He encourages parents to talk to their children about the risks of sharing personal information with strangers, even if they are offered prizes in exchange.
Parents always have the option to freeze their children’s credit for free, but it must be done with each of the nationwide credit bureaus.