I served on the Board, and am a big fan of Foster Forward, an amazing organization located in Rhode Island that provides services to foster children and youth and supports the child welfare system as a whole. During my many years of service on the Board, I learned about the challenges of foster children and youth, but never concentrated on the fact that—in addition to all of the other risks foster youth face—they are at a heightened risk of identity theft.
In that context, I was pleased to recently receive a Consumer Alert from the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) that highlights the serious risk that foster youth face when it comes to identity theft. The risk is heightened because foster youth move often, more people have access to their personal information, and they probably don’t have credit reports that can be monitored for identity theft. The FTC Alert provides practical and helpful information for foster parents, service providers and all of us who know someone in foster care to “help protect foster youth from identity theft.”
Here are some suggestions from the FTC:
- Check to see if they have a credit report. Generally, someone under 18 won’t. To find out, contact the three nationwide credit bureaus and ask for a manual search for their Social Security number. Find the credit bureaus’ contact information at IdentityTheft.gov. You may have to give the credit bureaus a copy of documents that prove you’re the child’s parent, legal guardian, or an authorized child welfare representative.
- Freeze their credit. Only an authorized adult can do this, and the process for getting a freeze for a minor is different from for an adult. Find instructions at Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion.
- Secure their personal data. Keep kids’ information, like medical bills or a Social Security card, in a secure place. Shred documents before throwing them away. And talk with the kids in your life about why keeping personal information safe matters.
A blog article in Comparitech notes that the Identity Theft Resource Center acknowledges “that foster children are more at risk for identity theft than other young people.” It provides additional tips on how to protect children, including those in foster care from identity theft.
The Identity Theft Resource Center provides additional information on why foster youth are at greater risk of identity theft and gives helpful information on how to respond if someone has become the victim of identity theft.
Whether we serve as a foster family, service provider or not, we all have an obligation to help prevent foster children and youth from becoming victims of identity theft. Take this opportunity to spread this helpful information to those you know who are supporting foster care.
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