What To Do if Your Child’s Social Security Number Is Stolen

As a parent, you always want to protect your child from risks, including those that could jeopardize their well-being and safety. Getting your own Social Security number (SSN) stolen is stressful enough, but when your child’s SSN is compromised, you will want to act quickly to protect their identity. According to data from the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), 3% of all identity theft reports in the first half of 2024 were for children 19 years old and younger. If your child’s SSN has been stolen, you should report the theft immediately to the FTC, place a freeze on your child’s credit report and contact the Social Security Administration (SSA).

Continue reading to learn the common signs of your child’s SSN being stolen, what steps to take if your child’s SSN was stolen and how you can protect your child’s SSN in the future.

Signs your child’s SSN was stolen

Several signs that your child’s SSN was stolen include having a credit file under their SSN, receiving mail for pre-approved cards or getting calls from collection agencies.

Your child has a credit file under their SSN

A credit file under your child’s SSN is a record of credit history associated with their SSN, which includes information such as their name, address, debit and credit cards. To check if your child has a credit file under their SSN, contact each of the three major credit bureaus (Experian, TransUnion and Equifax). Make sure to have your child’s SSN and other private information readily available to confirm your child’s identity with these credit bureaus. Your child could have a credit file under their SSN if you’ve added them as an authorized user or joint account holder, which would show up as credit history on their credit report. However, if you have not done these things and learn that your child has a credit file under their SSN, there is a high chance that they are a victim of child identity theft.

Your child is receiving mail for pre-approved cards

Everyone receives junk mail, but if you realize your child is receiving an abundance of mail for pre-approved credit card offers, this is a sign that their SSN may have been stolen. Credit card companies send this type of mail based on someone’s credit file, so someone may be impersonating your child using their SSN to open lines of credit in their name. Cybercriminals try to use a child’s SSN to commit fraud because they hope both you, as a parent, and your child will not find out until your child grows up. Therefore, receiving mail for pre-approved cards should warrant concern.

You’re receiving calls from collection agencies asking for your child

Collection agencies may call you asking for your child if they have unpaid bills in their name, which could be a sign that their SSN has been stolen and used to commit fraud. If you know that your child does not have any bills or debt in their name, receiving calls from collection agencies asking about your child could indicate that someone is using their SSN.

4 steps to take if your child’s SSN is stolen

If your child’s SSN is stolen, you should take a few steps to protect their identity, including reporting the identity theft to the FTC, placing a freeze on their credit report, notifying debt collectors and contacting the SSA.

1. Report the theft to the Federal Trade Commission

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) will use the information you report about your child’s identity theft to help recover from this fraud. By contacting the FTC, you can report your child’s SSN being stolen, and they will give you a personalized recovery plan with steps to move forward.

2. Place a freeze on your child’s credit report

Once you’ve reported your child’s identity theft, you should place a freeze on their credit report by contacting each of the three credit bureaus – Experian, TransUnion and Equifax. A credit freeze stops creditors from accessing your child’s credit report and approving any new loans or lines of credit in their name. This way, if someone has stolen your child’s SSN, they will be unable to use it to commit fraud or identity theft. You can lift a credit freeze at any time by contacting each of the three credit bureaus.

3. Notify debt collectors of the theft

You should notify debt collectors that your child’s SSN has been stolen because this will protect them from becoming responsible for any debt created by whoever stole their identity. For example, imagine someone stole your child’s SSN and used it to purchase a very expensive car. If the identity thief doesn’t make payments on that car, your child’s credit could plummet. Notifying debt collectors will make them aware that your child is not responsible for this fraud.

4. Contact the Social Security Administration

You should also contact the Social Security Administration (SSA) about your child’s identity theft since it is their SSN that has been stolen. A cybercriminal could use your child’s SSN to impersonate them, open new lines of credit or get loans. Informing the SSA about the misuse of your child’s SSN could lead them to review any unauthorized usage and seek justice for your child’s identity.

How to protect your child’s SSN

Protect your child’s SSN by keeping their Social Security card in a safe location, avoiding sharing their SSN in an unsafe way and using strong passwords for online accounts associated with their SSN.

Keep your child’s SSN card and documents in a safe place

Like any of your sensitive information, you should keep your child’s Social Security card in a secure location, such as a safety box. Because you need a code or physical key to access a safety box, this prevents many people from being able to access sensitive information for both you and your child. Make sure that any documents containing your child’s SSN are also stored safely to protect their identity. Since family members are often responsible for committing child identity theft, you should make sure any documents containing your child’s SSN are protected even from those closest to you. If you no longer need any documents that contain your child’s SSN, they should be shredded to eliminate the possibility of anyone stealing the SSN from the garbage.

Avoid insecurely sharing your child’s SSN

Be careful about who you choose to share your child’s SSN with and how you choose to share it. For example, if your child’s pediatrician needs their SSN for a doctor’s appointment, it’s safer to ask if they require the full SSN or only the last four digits. Ask these services or places how they plan to protect your child’s SSN and who will have access to it to guarantee your child’s privacy. Make sure never to share your child’s SSN through an email, text message or phone call because these are unencrypted methods that could be intercepted by a cybercriminal and cause it to become compromised. If you need to share your child’s SSN with their school or doctor, you should share it digitally through a safe method, such as a password manager, to maintain control and privacy over your child’s sensitive information.

Place your child as an authorized user on your credit card

By making your child an authorized user of your credit card, you can freeze your child’s credit easily to protect them from identity theft and also start building their credit early. Since you will have access to your child’s credit report if they’re an authorized user, you can prevent them from becoming a victim of child identity theft. Building your child’s credit will help them in the future, and protecting their SSN by making them an authorized user on your credit card will keep them safe from the damages of child identity theft.

Use strong passwords and enable MFA for online accounts

Think of any online accounts you may have that contain your child’s SSN. Make sure that those accounts are secured with strong passwords and Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) enabled to protect your child’s identity. Any online account containing your child’s SSN should have a strong password, consisting of at least 16 characters and a combination of uppercase and lowercase letters, numbers and symbols. In addition to guarding your online accounts with strong passwords, you should enable MFA, which adds an extra layer of security by requiring another form of authentication to access them. Some types of MFA include a code from an authenticator app, a PIN, an answer to a security question or even your fingerprint. Having a strong password and MFA method for every online account containing your child’s SSN will protect them from child identity theft because a cybercriminal will be unable to log in to any of your online accounts.

Protect your child’s SSN to keep their identity safe

Keeping your child safe is a top priority as a parent, and it includes protecting their SSN. If you realize your child’s SSN has been compromised, you need to report the theft immediately to the FTC and notify debt collectors of the identity theft. To keep your child’s SSN and identity safe, you should store their SSN in safe physical and digital locations, avoid sharing their SSN using unsafe methods and secure your online accounts that contain your child’s SSN with strong passwords. An easy way to create, update and store strong passwords is by using a password manager like Keeper^®. Keeper Password Manager not only allows you to store passwords for online accounts, but you can also securely upload important documents like your child’s Social Security card into your encrypted digital vault.

Start your free 30-day trial of Keeper Password Manager today to keep your child’s SSN and other sensitive information out of the wrong hands.