Tips to safeguard Social Security Number for children

The consequences are great, but protecting kids’ credit is the responsibility of all parents. You surely don’t want to have your children carrying an injured credit done by others. Here’s what you should do.

• Keep SSNs and other documents in a secure place – your child’s SSN along with other documents, such as passport and birth certificate, should be kept and locked. These documents contain your child’s personal identifiers. Don’t lose these because they serve as proof of your child’s existence and identity. A lost ss card should be reported immediately, because it can be misused in a number of ways. Finally, always bring it back home after showing or using it for business purposes.

• Always ask any business why they need to get your child’s SS number and keep track of them – social security numbers are sometimes used more than the birth certificate of children, especially doctors’ offices and hospitals, for identifiers. It’s important to keep track of those who have your child’s SSN. This will help you investigate easily in case of an unpleasant event. Creating a list of where you used the SSN or where you shared your child’s information is enough to not lose track of it.

• Only divulge sensitive information when extremely necessary – using the SSNs of kids should be for professional and official use only, such as when obtaining medical coverage, enrolling in school, getting passport or opening new financial accounts. When an organization that does not normally ask for your child’s number suddenly requests for it, seek for a valid reason why they need it. It’s always important to be skeptical nowadays, especially when dealing with the SSN of your child.

• When your kid participates on any activity (like a sports institution), see to it that such organization knows how to handle information safely - birth certificates and SSNs are sometimes required during sign up. This ensures the identity of your child, but this should be kept confidential at all costs. Parents should investigate for the following: how the information is stored and what types of security measures are set in place. Doing this gives them the assurance of continued confidentiality.

• Make it a habit to check the social security earnings record of your kids – Cases of id theft often go unnoticed because parents don’t check their child’s earnings record. Requesting a copy of the earnings record is a good way to avert the consequences of theft.

• Teaching kids about safe online practices – Educate them to keep their information and their identity private whenever they are using the Internet. Social security numbers should not be shared to friends or even strangers they have met online. Emphasize that social media sites are a good place for id thieves and they can be victims without them realizing it.
  

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