Expert warns child identity theft on the rise

VANCOUVER (NEWS1130) – It’s a risk you may not have thought about when getting a social insurance number for your kids, but child identity theft is becoming more common.

Personal finance expert Kelley Keehn says over 10 per cent of kids in the US have had someone use their identity to apply for mortgages, credit cards or worse; she says more Canadian children are falling victim to the crime, as well.

Keehn says there’s some things you should watch out for. “Maybe there’s a collection agency calling, there some unusual mail coming in saying your child has been approved or what have you.”

Children getting social insurance numbers at a young age is becoming more common. Anyone who creates a registered education savings plan for their kids need to get them social insurance numbers, even if they’re newborns.

Keehn says you need to be very protective of that identification, and your child’s birth certificate, because it could be years before you actually find out your child’s identity has been compromised.

“In my research I was even coming across soccer clubs asking for parents to provide a SIN as part of the application or sign-up process. There’s absolutely no reason why an organization like that would be asking for such sensitive information.”

She recommends you keep SIN cards and birth certificates under lock and key, and ask questions before giving out your child’s information like “why do you need this,” and “how are you going to protect this information?”

Keehn is working with Chartered Professional Accountants of Canada to help prevent identity theft and financial fraud.