Somebody could be using your kid's identity and you don't even know it.
The Los Angeles Times reports thieves recently may have targeted a Girl Scout troop out of Orange County, California potentially stealing names, addresses, insurance policy numbers and medical history of nearly 3,000 children.
It's a reminder that adults aren't the only victims of identity theft.
The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) says in 2017 it received more than 13,000 complaints about identity theft involving people ages 19 and under.
Checking credit reports at annualcreditreport.com and getting credit freezes through each credit bureau is a good start to securing your families identities.
But the FTC says thieves apply for jobs, rental homes, or get medical treatment, using stolen information.
It's called non-financial identity theft. Most adults have no idea it's happening to them or their kids.
But there are ways you can find out.
MIB.com is like a credit report for your medical information.
Your health insurance provider reports your medical conditions, lab results, even bad habits to them. Ailments that aren't yours could be a red flag your information is being used.
Realpage.com keeps track of rental and eviction history associated with your name and social security number. If someone is renting a place in your name it should show up.
First Advantage conducts background checks which could include judgments, legal cases, other other non-credit related parts of your history. Knowing what is on yours could be a hint about whether your information is being misused.
By law, you're entitled to a free copy of all these reports every 12 months.
