Would it shock you to know that over 1 million children under the age of 9 have had their identity stolen in the last year alone? It is important to be aware of how this can happen and what you need to do to prevent it from happening to your children. 

Today’s guest is Kelli Grant. Kelli is currently Senior Editor at CNBC and was the Senior Consumer Reporter at Marketwatch and Smart Money. Kelli has earned the certified financial planner designation which recognizes financial advisors who meet education, experience, and ethics requirements, and have passed tough industry exams. Her work has appeared in the Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, Kipplinger’s Personal Finance, Good Housekeeping, Family Circle, and other publications. 

Show Notes:

• [1:15] - Kelli shares her background and expertise in the field. 
• [3:07] - What is the difference between identity theft and fraud?
• [4:12] - Identity theft of children happens mostly through forms and paper.
• [5:56] - In some cases, organizations that need private information in records don’t know how to manage it safely.
• [7:38] - In many cases, organizations that ask for a Social Security Number don’t even need it. Kelli advises leaving it blank first to see if they ask for it.
• [9:42] - Double check the questions being asked that may seem unimportant.
• [11:45] - Children are attractive targets of identity theft because it goes undetected for years.
• [13:47] - A blank slate can be manipulated into anything.
• [16:14] - Kelli lists some of the red flags that a child’s identity has been compromised.
• [18:01] - Kelli explains the pros and cons of freezing your child’s credit until they need it.
• [20:08] - Freezing credit is not fool proof and does not prevent all fraud and theft.
• [23:01] - Experts say they see more frequent attempts at Familiar Fraud during times of economic distress.
• [26:51] - Include your children in conversations about keeping private information safe and secure and how to spot a scam.
• [28:42] - Children shouldn’t necessarily know their Social Security Number until they are teens applying for jobs or financial aid.
• [29:41] - Be aware when data breaches take place and take the steps to keep your information safe.
• [31:50] - Cleaning up identity theft is very messy and difficult. Kelli explains that there are some insurance policies that are good resources.
• [34:01] - Insurance policies are easily available due to the high need.
• [35:18] - Leave certain pieces of information off of forms and don’t even mention it unless the organization asks.

Thanks for joining us on Easy Prey. Be sure to subscribe to our podcast on iTunes and leave a nice review. 

Links and Resources:

• Podcast Web Page
• Facebook Page
• whatismyipaddress.com
• Easy Prey on Instagram
• Easy Prey on Twitter
• Easy Prey on LinkedIn
• Easy Prey on YouTube
• Easy Prey on Pinterest
• Kelli Grant on Twitter
• Kelli Grant on LinkedIn
• The Less People Know About Us: A Mystery of Betrayal, Family Secrets, and Stolen Identity by Axton Betz-Hamilton