ProtectMyID

What should I do?

When I was a ProtectMyID.com Fraud Resolution Agent, not only did we assist adult consumers with identity theft, we also assisted minors who may have been potential fraud victims.  Once we received the proper documents from the legal guardian, we were able to discuss with the parent what prompted the monitoring alert for their children.  

However, if you suspect your child’s Social Security number may have been used for identity theft and you’re currently reading this entry, you will want to be proactive now and check to see if your child has an existing credit report. Children typically do not have existing lines of credit and therefore should not have a credit report. .  Here are the steps you will need to follow in order to find out if your child has a credit report.

Step 1. Write a letter to the three major credit monitoring agencies requesting a copy of your child’s credit report and include a brief explanation as to why you suspect fraud.   Be sure to include the following pieces of information before you mail out your letter.  If you miss one of these items you will receive a letter from the agencies requesting the missing information which will delay the process.  Here is a checklist:

__ A copy of your driver’s license or another government issued ID.

__ Proof of your mailing address, such as a copy of a utility bill.

__ A copy of your child’s birth certificate.

__ A copy of your child’s Social Security card.

__ Your child’s full name, including middle initial and generation (if applicable).

__ Your child’s date of birth.

__ Previous addresses for the past two years (if you haven’t lived at the same address). 

Step 2. Send your letter to each of the credit reporting agencies by certified mail with a return receipt. The addresses of the credit reporting agencies are as follows:

Experian
PO Box 9532
Allen, TX. 75013

Equifax
P.O. Box 105139
Atlanta, GA. 30348′

TransUnion
PO Box 6790
Fullerton, CA. 92834

Step 3. Be sure to follow up with each of the credit reporting agencies if you receive no response after 30 days.

If you want to save yourself the time from going through all these steps, it’s recommended you enroll with a product that monitors your child’s Social Security number such as ChildSecure brought to you by ProtectMyID.com.  If your child receives a monitoring alert, all you would need to do is call Customer Care and they would assign you a designated Fraud Resolution Agent who would walk you through the process.  For more information about ChildSecure brought to you by ProtectMyID.com, please call 1-866-960-MYID (6943) or go to http://www.protectmyid.com/.