IdentityFort

Discover Magazine has a fantastic article about how Eric Drew managed to overcome not only acute lymphoblastic leukemia, but a bout with identity theft at the same time.

As he was confined to a hospital bed, going through his painful physical challenge, Eric Drew had been getting harassing phone calls from irate banks and credit card companies demanding payment for purchases he had never made.

Someone who expected him to die soon had stolen his identity and was racking up thousands of dollars in bills under his name.

Very good read.

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While adults are usually the victims of ID theft, simply because they have much more personal information out there to steal, children are actually more susceptible to ID theft than adults.

Most parents are aware that children need to be warned about the dangers of drugs, driving safely and staying away from strangers - but how many parents take the time to talk with their kids about identity theft?

Parents need to add the topic of identity theft to the list of warnings and advice that they dole out their kids, simply because identity theft cases continue to rise and more children and teenagers become victims.

One reason why so many children end up as victims of identity theft is that they have credit records that sit there without being used for years on end. Any unusual activity on those credit records often go unnoticed for years, simply because nobody looks at them. Thousands of children’s identities are stolen every year, simply because they’re easy targets. Kids aren’t finding out that they’ve been victimized until they graduate from high school and apply for their first job or a student loan. By then, thieves have often been using their Identities for years and the kid’s good name is ruined before he or she even has a chance to start.

As with the rest of us, the best way to protect your kids from identity theft is to take steps to protect their personal information. The best way that IdentityFort has found to protect your kids from identity theft is LifeLock.

LifeLock now offers identity theft protection for kids, which is good.

For only $25 a year, LifeLock now offers protection for kids under the age of 16, as long as at least one adult in the home is an annual member. LifeLock is the only company in the country that makes sure that kids are protected from identity thieves.

LifeLock’s kid protection service comes with the same $1 million guarantee as the identity theft protection service for adults, but their process is tailored to be most effective for the special requirements needed to protect your child’s identity.

Here are some of the things LifeLock does to protect your child:

• They check credit reports every 6 months to ensure that there is no activity.
• If a credit report does exist, they place fraud alerts on credit reports, stating that this is a minor child and that no activity should occur.
• They check for work history and any misuse of the Social Security number.
• They repeat this process regularly to ensure that all is well.

Starting out is hard enough when you’re a kid. Can you imagine how hard it would be if you’re starting out with an identity that’s been used for 8 years to perform fraudulent actions?

$25 a year is nothing compared to that.

There are some other steps you can take to protect your children’s identities.

Question anyone who requests a child’s Social Security number, credit card number or other personal financial information.

You may want to consider some of these suggestions for handling problems that you and children face in your quest to prevent identity theft:

Schools, athletic teams and pediatric offices will often request a child’sSocial Security number for registration purposes. Sometimes this information isn’t necessary, so before you give that information out, ask if it’s absolutely necessary and why. If you don’t like the reason, don’t give the information out.

Parents will often carry their child’s Social Security card in their wallet or purse. Stop doing this, and don’t let your teenager keep their own Social Security card in their own wallet.

When your teen opens their first checking account, discuss the importance of safeguarding their checks and bank account number and advise them to monitor their accounts closely, especially for suspicious activity. Do this with them until you’re sure they’re catching on. Do the same when they apply for their first credit card.

Limit the copies of your child’s birth certificate. If copies are requested in order to allow your child to participate in sports or other extracurricular activities, find out who will have access to the information and where it will be stored.

Advise your teenager to protect their ATM and credit cards at all times and that they should only carry what is absolutely necessary in their wallets or purses. They should not make a habit of taking debit cards, credit cards or checkbooks with them when they go out with friends.

If you have a teen going off to college, discuss the importance of safeguarding financial documents, bank account statements, credit cards and other personal records in their dorm room or apartment.

As a parent, you should check your child’s credit report annually for any unauthorized accounts and requests for credit, or let LifeLock do it for you for $25 a year.

The Better Business Bureau advises that if you believe your child’s identity may have been stolen, contact the three major credit bureaus and immediately dispute any bills with fraudulent charges.

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What started as an evening out at a trendy restaurant for Debra Duneier ended up as a nightmare when her purse was stolen, along with her identity.

Debra’s purse was stolen before she walked into the restaurant. Her reservation was for 7:30 and by 7:36 there were charges on her credit card at four different locations at the exact same time. Within minutes of stealing her purse, ID theives were spending Debra Duneier’s money.

And Debra Duneier is only one of 10 million Americans who are victimized by ID theft every year, who, if you added up the total cost of their losses, have lost more than $5 billion dollars.

Debra Duneier’s cost for her experience with ID theft was $7000. As a result of the ID theft, she had to change banks, cancel accounts and put her credit card companies on alert.

There actually was someone that got into my new account, went to the teller at a different branch and pulled out $2,000. They also deposited two checks into my account from stolen checkbooks.

Since the incident, Debra Duneier has had a complete change in mentality. She’s more cautious about where she put her purse and has credit alerts set up on all her accounts. She’s also subscribed to LifeLock.

Without the right protective steps, if you ever get victimized by ID theft, your life can become an ugly mess.

You could end up being forced into bankruptcy. You could end up not being able to get any credit or buy anything for yourself because somebody else is using your name, your Social Security number, taking out mortgages and using your credit cards and not paying the bills!

Everyone should consider asking their insurance agent about Identity Recovery Services and Specific Identity Theft Insurance on their homeowners or renters’ policies.

Ask the insurance carrier about extra protection. They might give you a thousand dollars of protection built in, but for $35 they could provide $25,000 of protection.

So how do you avoid ID theft? Well, your best bet is to keep your Social Security number from prying eyes and use it as seldom as possible online. Check your credit report at least once a year for suspicious activity. Also, consider subscribing to an identity theft prevention service such as LifeLock.

Subscribing to LifeLock has the advantage of their WalletLock program.

In the panic of losing your wallet, it’s nice to know that your important numbers are recorded and stored in a secure place. You can download LifeLock’s convenient form, fill it out and store it in a safe place.

If ever you lose your wallet, just give LifeLock a call. You’ll be transferred to a certified Recovery Specialist that will help you:

• Identify your missing documents
• Contact each credit, bank or document issuing company while you’re on the phone
• Cancel the lost cards, licenses and documents (including your credit/debit cards, driver’s licenses, social security cards, insurance cards, passports, checkbooks and travelers checks)
• Fill out the paperwork and request new replacements
• Initiate the fraud affidavit and police reports if the wallet was stolen
• Depending on the severity of the situation, additional follow-up and resolution calls will be arranged.

In many cases, LifeLock will be able to replace all of your documents for you. However, some states require you to be involved with LifeLock directly. If this happens, LifeLock will make it as easy as possible by filling out the necessary forms ahead of time and setting appointments at your convenience - all you have to do is show up.

LifeLock is the only Identity Theft Prevention Solution backed by a one-million dollar guarantee!Click here to get a 10% discount.

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