Identity thieves don’t care how old you are. Here’s how to fight back
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Lost data includes student names, dates of birth, home addresses, grade levels, affiliated schools, state-issued and local student identifier numbers, gender, ethnicity, primary language, disability and testing accommodations, and more. The California Department of Education says that social security, driver’s license, and passport numbers were not stolen. Financial account details, credit and debit card info, account passwords, and parent/guardian info were also not part of the breach.
In some ways, this kind of data theft sounds mundane. But I started thinking about the ways our kids are at risk when their data leaks—and equally so, aging relatives and associates. Even though this happened in California, our kids and elders across the U.S. may not be able to monitor their online identities.
For those of us in the middle, we can take steps to help protect them. My advice: Don’t rely just on identity monitoring services, especially when offered after a data breach. You can take additional steps that don’t rely on a third-party’s watchful eye…and won’t expire after a finite time, either.
1 – Freeze their credit reports
PCWorld
Leaving credit reports unmonitored is a great opportunity for identity thieves. They can open a bunch of fraudulent accounts, then move on undetected.
Instead of constantly monitoring your kid or parent’s identity reports, freeze them. No one can open new credit lines in their name while the report is frozen. (If ever necessary, you can lift it temporarily, for either a set time or a specific creditor.)
For children under 16, guardians must fill out and submit the paperwork. Guardians can also do so for children ages 16 or 17, though these older teens can also make the request themselves.
