Children, social security numbers and identity theft

Identity theft is a growing issue these days. You can’t pick up a newspaper or magazine without reading something about it. Identify theft of children is growing at an alarming rate.

Our kids are at a greater risk for identity theft than most kids. If you think of all the reports that have their social security number on it, the medical assistance cards that use their social security number as their account number, and the number of people that have access to their social security number, you might get a little freaked out.

Here’s a minor example. In my safe deposit box, I have savings bonds for Kory and Mackenzie. Knowing what I know about foster care I did not send these along with them. I chose to hold onto them until the time that Sammy is reunited with them. Their social security numbers are on the savings bonds.

If I were not an honest person, I could use this information to gain credit in their names. I have more than enough information to do this.

This got me to thinking about Sammy and Hannah. Their birth parents probably have their social security numbers somewhere. Given the history that I have on Sammy’s parents and the little bit I know about Hannah’s parents, the chances of them using their children’s identity to gain credit, or do who knows what else, are pretty good.

I recently had to replace Sammy’s social security card in order for him to get a job. When I was at the office I asked about changing his social security. I have heard of people doing this after they have had their identity stolen, and let’s face, many unsavory characters can easily change numbers.

I asked the clerk what I had to do in order to gain a new number for him and explained our circumstances. I was told that we could not do that. Once a child is old enough to know that he or she is adopted, you can no longer change the social security number. If the child is adopted as an infant or a toddler and is not aware that they are adopted, you can still change it, but in the case of a child old enough to know, you must keep the number that has been assigned.

The clerk did tell me that in order for the birth parents to gain credit they would need to know the child’s current name. In Sammy’s case that’s not too hard to imagine. We still have contact with some of his birth family so it is plausible that this could happen. Hannah’s birth mom knows the family she was with before us, so it is possible in her case as well.

You can contact the credit bureaus and see if your child has any activity on their credit history.

To contact TransUnion, send an e-mail to childidtheft@transunion.com.

To contact Experian go to Experian’s website or call 1-800-311-4769.

Equifax will not release information without proof of who you are and your relationship to the child. You must send a copy of your child’s birth certificate and proof of your identity or relationship to the child. The social security office accepted my driver’s license and our health insurance card showing Sammy’s name as a covered individual.

Send your request to:

Equifax, Inc.
In Care Of Minor Child
PO Box 105139
Atlanta, GA 30348

If a file is found, and there should NOT be, it will be flagged as belonging to a minor and no credit will be issued until your child turns eighteen.

Meanwhile, don’t forget to shred any papers with your child’s social security number rather than just tossing them.

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