Laura Hutchinson & Jessica Stanley
22News Investigative Team
SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (WWLP) - A warning all parents need to hear. Protecting your child from identity theft. Some experts say children's identities are being stolen more than adults. It's something father of four, Douglas Langevin says he never thought to do, run his children's credit score. "Never thought that there'd be a problem. It's a shame that you have to worry about something like that," Langevin said. But, according to some experts, children's identity theft has become a real problem. The Federal Trade Commission says it's happening more and more because kids are an easy target. Identity theft in children is becoming more common because it can go undetected for years.
Think about it, most people won't typically run their credit score until they're trying to buy a car, rent an apartment or buy a home. These kids are playing now but they may have loads of credit card debt no one knows about. "Who would think of that? they haven't done anything, they have no bills, why would you even think of it?" said Michael Cavanna, East Longmeadow. According to the Identity Theft Resource Center more than half of identity theft cases in Massachusetts last year involved children. Once a child's identity has been compromised, it's difficult to undo, some parents say they're not taking any chances. "Definitely, now that that's something that's been brought to my attention, I do think that is something that I will do," said Jenna Weed, Chicopee.
Every family wants the best for their kids, and this theft of children’s identities is such a shame. You just have to question what kind of morality we have these days when there are people who freely implicate children for their own selfish wants. In these times, it's important to educate your kids with safe internet practices in order to protect themselves online. Tell them what kind of information is not safe to share in social media sites, and remind them regularly of these.
ReplyDeleteAnnie Valdez