Adam Levin discussed the rise of child identity theft with Lisa Fletcher, host of Al Jazeera America’s The Stream.
Discussing the higher incidence of Social Security number-based crimes against minors, Adam explained that child identity theft often goes unreported because the victim does not find out about the crime until years later, but that’s not the only reason.
In many cases, the culprit is someone in the child’s family and the victim is afraid to report them to the authorities, or they choose not to out of family loyalty or because it’s embarrassing.
Because a child’s Social Security number is not attached to a credit history, it is a prime target for identity thieves who can use the child’s identity to open credit card accounts, apply for loans, or even rent an apartment. Parents should be aware of red flags, like receiving a credit card application in the mail in the child’s name.
