When most people think about identity theft, they assume adults are the primary targets. However, in recent years, children have become a growing focus for cybercriminals. The reason is simple: a child’s Social Security number and personal information represent a “clean slate”—no credit history, no red flags—making it easy for criminals to create synthetic identities, apply for loans, or commit fraud.

The most troubling part is that these crimes often go undetected for years. Parents may only discover the issue when their child applies for their first credit card, student loan, or apartment lease. By then, repairing the damage can be both complex and costly.

Why Children Are at Risk

• Unused credit profiles: Criminals exploit a child’s blank credit history to build fake identities.
• Social engineering: Kids may unknowingly share personal information through gaming apps, social media, or phishing attempts disguised as friendly interactions.
• Data breaches: Schools, medical offices, and extracurricular apps store large amounts of sensitive data. These organizations are often prime targets for hackers.

Technology That Helps Safeguard Children’s Identities

To reduce the risk of identity theft, parents and organizations can implement several proven strategies:

• Credit Freezes for Minors
• Credit bureaus now allow parents to freeze a child’s credit. This prevents accounts from being opened in their name until the freeze is lifted. It’s free, effective, and can be unlocked when your child legitimately needs credit.
• Identity Monitoring Services
• Services such as LifeLock, Aura, and IdentityForce actively scan financial records, public databases, and the dark web for suspicious use of Social Security numbers—including those of minors.
• Parental Control & Privacy Tools
• Device-level controls (Microsoft Family Safety, Apple Screen Time, Google Family Link) restrict oversharing of personal details.
• Secure DNS solutions (OpenDNS, CleanBrowsing) block phishing sites and malicious domains that attempt to harvest login credentials.
• Password Managers
• Using family-friendly password managers (like 1Password Families or Bitwarden) ensures children don’t rely on weak or reused passwords. They also help protect against credential theft from fake login sites.
• Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA)
• MFA provides a critical layer of security. Enabling it on email and financial accounts makes it far harder for criminals to gain full account control—even if a password is compromised.
• Data Encryption & Secure Backups
• For schools, youth organizations, and medical practices handling children’s data, encryption and secure cloud backups are essential. Combined with access controls, they significantly reduce the chances of data exposure in the event of a breach.

Best Practices for Parents

• Teach children to limit what they share online (birthdays, addresses, or photos that reveal personal information).
• Periodically check whether your child has a credit report. A report at a young age can be a warning sign.
• Maintain strong Wi-Fi security at home (WPA3 encryption, updated router firmware).
• Pay attention to unusual mail—credit card offers or debt collection notices in your child’s name can be early indicators of fraud.

Final Thoughts

Children’s identity theft is a hidden but serious problem that can take years to surface. The good news is that with the right combination of parental awareness, secure technologies, and organizational safeguards, we can greatly reduce the risk.