GREEN BAY, WI (WTAQ) – The Better Business Bureau is warning of a danger that is often overlooked when getting kids ready for back to school.
Parents should think, Identity Theft.
Susan Bach of the Better Business Bureau says that is because children are especially good targets because they have zero credit history and no questionable banking transactions in their history.
“Be wary of any websites that ask for your child’s personal information.
She says a child can have their ID stolen through their social security number or social insurance number and you may not find out about it for years.
Bach warns that if a business or school asks for their SIN or SSN, feel free to ask questions.
“We don’t want them to be victimized by identity theft in this way either.”
Those questions can be Why do they need it and where and how is this information being stored? How long is it being stored and how will it be terminated? Who has access to it?
It is also important not to allow kids to carry around their social insurance number or social security number and to educate them on the importance of being safe if they are active in the online world.
