Seattle PI - News Article - After checking your ID, check your children's

http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/money/380846_idtheftkids27.html

NEW YORK -- Among the people Linda Foley is currently working to help are a 3-year-old whose Social Security number is being used by someone for work purposes. And there's a 5-year-old whose identity is linked to driver's licenses, arrest warrants for drunken driving, and a warrant for unpaid child support.

These stories may sound unusual, but Foley has heard of many such situations since she started the San Diego-based Identity Theft Resource Center in 1999, and she's convinced that the poaching of children's identities is more common than anyone knows.

Because identity theft is typically associated with financial matters like the misuse of credit cards, most people don't consider the possibility that their child's personal information could be stolen and misused. But more than 34,000 reports of identity theft reported to the Federal Trade Commission from 2005 to 2007 concerned children younger than 18.

"I think we just see the tip of the iceberg. We don't know how deep this problem goes," Foley said.

One reason there is no clear figure for the number of children affected is that the crime often goes unnoticed for many years, said Scott Mitic, chief executive of TrustedID, a Redwood, Calif., company that offers ID protection services.

Usually, there's a narrow time gap between the discovery and the theft, Mitic said of identity theft in general. "But in this age group, you're much more likely to see a lag."

Because children don't have complex financial lives, there is less opportunity to notice that something has gone awry than for adults who try to get loans, mortgages and credit cards -- one major factor that plays into child identity theft going undetected for years.

A second major reason is that frequently, the thief is a parent or other relative of the child.

"In excess of 50 percent of all child ID theft, involves a perpetrator who is one of the parents or someone who is close to the family," estimated Foley, basing her figure on counseling experience and work with law enforcement agencies.

That was the case for Randy Waldron Jr., now 27, who has spent the last decade trying to clean up his reputation.

"My father began using my Social Security number in 1982," Waldron said. But his father was not a part of his life as a child, and it wasn't until 16 years later, when Waldron was applying for college, that it was discovered he had run up a total of $2.5 million in debt in his son's name.

The tally included myriad accounts from unpaid utility bills to defaulted credit cards and back taxes. There was even an unpaid storage facility rental that ballooned to a $10,000 debt.

"It took many years to correct it," Waldron said, estimating that he has spent about $30,000 in attorney fees to clear his name. "I am still hounded by credit card companies, I am still hounded by collection agencies."

Waldron, who lives in Revere, Mass., has worked with Foley in handling his own personal matters, and is now trying to start an organization on the East Coast to help other victims, the Center for Compromised Identities and Child Identity Theft.

Though you may feel secure in your own family, another recurring scenario is that a child's Social Security number becomes associated with a different name -- a technique that's sometimes used by an undocumented immigrant or someone who is trying to avoid child support payments.

"As amazing as it sounds, it is still very difficult for an employer to establish that a Social Security number they've been given corresponds to the person they are employing," said TrustID's Mitic.

"The reason thieves prey on children is for one simple fact. It's because a child in this country is born into a society where you're required to have a Social Security number, and that Social Security number gives you a clean credit record, a clean slate," Waldron said. "If a child identity thief gets a hold of a child's Social Security number at this instant, the parent may not know for 18 years."


TIPS
Some tips for protecting your child's identity:


Teach your child not to give out personal information, particularly online.


Shred all papers to be thrown away that contain account numbers or Social Security numbers.


Store your child's Social Security card in a safe place at home or in a safe deposit box. Neither you nor your child should carry the card in a wallet.


If you receive a preapproved credit application or similarly unusual offer in the mail, investigate. Some banks may add a child's name to a mailing list if an account has been opened in his or her name, but this could be a red flag that your child's identity has been compromised.


If you have reason to believe there may be fraud, write (certified return receipt) to the three credit reporting agencies -- Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion -- and ask for a credit report in your child's name. A child should not have a credit report, because minors are unable to enter into contracts. You can find a sample letter and addresses on the Web site of the Identity Theft Resource Center, idtheftcenter.org.


If you discover a credit report in your child's name, ask to have all accounts, applications and collection notices removed, and have a free security freeze put on the file. This will remain on the file until you request it be removed or temporarily lifted.


Ask if adults who work with your child and might have access to sensitive information -- such as coaches, scout leaders or other activity leaders -- have had a background check. Also be careful when providing documents such as birth certificates to activity leaders, and ask to be notified if they will be shown to other people.


If you think there may be a problem, contact the Social Security Administration for a copy of an earnings statement for your child. If it shows that your child has earned wages, it could indicate theft of the child's Social Security number. Details and forms are available on the agency's Web site at ssa.gov/mystatement.

Preventing Baby Hazards

1. Get down on your hands and knees to your child’s level so you can identify potential hazards.
2. Place child resistant covers on all electrical outlets.
3. Use door knob covers to prevent access to off-limit areas (basement stairs, garage, outdoors, bathrooms).
4. Shorten curtain and blind cords.
5. Use corner bumpers on all sharp furniture corners.
6. Know the name of all houseplants in case a child eats them.
7. Secure any unsteady furniture.
8. Safety-proof your stairs with baby gates, both top and bottom.
9. Secure cords so lamps and appliances cannot be pulled down onto a child.
10. Remove the plastic caps from doorstops or replace them with one piece stops.
11. Consider taking a Basic First Aid and/or CPR class so you can be prepared if an accident occurs.
12. Put Chime Off alarms, when kid opens backyard doors and tries to sneak off; specially if you have a pool in your backyard.


Bottom Line:
Its something to cherish. The 1st weeks and 1st months will
2-3 hours. Rather than trying to make them fall in a routine, enjoy that period.
3 months or 12-13 pounds tab they wake up all night.

Kitchen
12. Keep knives, cleaning supplies and plastic bags out of children’s reach.
13. If stove knobs are accessible to children, use protective knob covers to prevent children from turning them.
14. Unplug all electrical appliances when not in use.
15. Install cabinet door locks if cleaning supplies are stored in the kitchen.
16. Keep handles of pots and pans over the stove towards the inside.
17. Give your baby their own compartment shelf in the kitchen, since they are going to be with you all the time and you will not like to say 'NO' to them all the time.

Bathrooms
16. Lock all vitamins and medicines well out of reach.
17. Use a non-slip mat in the bath or shower to avoid falls.
18. Set your water heater to 120F degrees or lower
Home Office
18. If you use an electric shredder, unplug it when it is not in use. Many new models will work automatically even when in the off position. Never leave it on “Auto.”
19. Beware of dropped paper clips, staples, push pins, and rubber bands that can be choking hazards.
20. Secure cords to computers and monitors well out of reach of little hands.

For Safety products, check this link:
http://www.toysrus.com/shop/index.jsp?categoryId=2964402
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Links to Other Safety Tips
http://www4.toysrus.com/safety/holiShopSafeTips.cfm
http://www.recalls.gov/
http://www3.toysrus.com/safety/prodRecalls.cfm


Main Sources:
http://www.babycenter.com/0_tips-for-safe-bathing_40.bc
http://www.cordblood.net/pdf/200807_Grandparent.pdf