Page 59 - Cyber Warnings

While it is difficult to consider a family member or friend as an identity thief, it’s important to stay
vigilant and recognize some warning signs. For instance, family members and friends have no
reason to know the child’s social security number, so consider it a red flag if someone asks for
it, particularly if the person becomes enraged when you say “no.”

A relative or friend caught snooping around, particularly in your personal files, should also be
regarded with suspicion. Of course, identity theft by friends and family members often goes
unnoticed for years because of their relationship to the victim.

It isn’t always possible to know when someone is acting suspicious, so simply paying attention
to the actions of your friends and relatives can’t be your only form of protection.

How everyday activities put your child at risk:
Just because a lot of thieves are personally connected to victims doesn’t mean that your child’s
identity is safe as long as you don’t have any severed family ties. In fact, a primary reason
behind the founding of the Identity Theft Task Force in 2006 was to cut down on the
unnecessary sharing of social security numbers.

Legally, citizens are only obligated to share their SSN in certain scenarios such as those
involving the IRS (such as for tax returns, and employment), when the citizen is instigating a
transaction that needs to adhere to the rules of the federal Customer Identification Program
(e.g. opening bank accounts), and for state reporting on government programs such as
Medicaid, food stamps, unemployment compensation, assistance for needy families,
commercial drivers’ license and child support enforcement.

Additionally, the department of labor would need your SSN for workers’ compensation, and the
Department of Education would need your SSN for student loans.

Many parents don’t realize that doing something as innocent as enrolling their children in school
can put them at risk depending on how the school files, stores, and disposes of that paperwork.

Schools, sports teams, and summer camps might be great opportunities for your child, but be
prepared to ask questions when they ask for your child’s private information, and don’t be afraid
to say “no” when they ask for your child’s SSN.

The organization legally can refuse to do business with you if you refuse to give them your
child’s social security information, provided they were going to use it legally.

However there are plenty of organizations that do not require a SSN for enrollment.

Here are some questions to ask when an organization requests your child’s SSN:

● Why do you need my child’s personal information?
● Where will you store this information?

59 Cyber Warnings E-Magazine – February 2016 Edition
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