Parents Urged to Freeze Children’s Credit to Prevent Identity Theft

PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) — Experts are urging parents to take proactive measures for their child as soon as possible to protect their child’s identity and financial future.

Freezing your child’s credit, financial experts say, is the best defense against scammers who steal the identities of minors, which could lead to major problems for young people and their families years later.

Eva Velasquez of the Identity Theft Resource Center said child identity theft is more common than many people realize.

“Children’s credentials, especially in the United States, are very desirable to the bad guys because they’re a clean slate,” she said.

The consequences can be severe.

“It can stop kids from getting that first car. It can stop them from getting student loans and being able to pursue higher education. It can stop them from being able to rent an apartment. Get their first job,” Velasquez said.

Parents may also face complications when accessing government benefits or filing taxes.

Velasquez urged families to take action.

“I want to encourage parents, if they don’t want this to happen to their children, to freeze their children’s credit,” she said.

Freezing a child’s credit requires contacting each of the three major credit bureaus – Experian, TransUnion and Equifax – separately. Parents must fill out and print forms from each bureau’s website and submit the requests by mail. Online freezing is not available for minors.

The mailed packet must include proof of the child’s identity, proof of the parent’s identity, and documentation showing legal guardianship. Acceptable documents may include a driver’s license or other government-issued ID, Social Security cards, or a birth certificate. If a parent’s name is not on the birth certificate, a court order or other certification is required.

To help families navigate the process, the Identity Theft Resource Center offers a website called Frozen Pii, for “personally identifiable information.”

Velasquez said the site provides “all of the legitimate links to get the information from the credit reporting agencies. It’s right there. You don’t have to do a lot of homework.”

Adults can freeze and unfreeze their own credit online within minutes, but thawing a child’s credit also requires mailing documentation and takes longer.

Freezing credit is free for both adults and children.

Experts warn there is no cost to freeze or thaw, so if anyone offers to do it for you for a fee, that is a scam.

Frozen Pii and all Identity Theft Resource Center services are free.