With the increasing ease of identity theft via technology thieves are not limited by whose identity they decide to steal. More importantly, if the identity is not frequently monitored, all the better. In the last two years more and more cases have occurred in which thieves have used the names and social security numbers of children to steal credit. Companies do not check to see if a name or social security number has an age associated with it, and thieves know very few people, if any, regularly monitor the credit of their children.

Why would they if they think there is no need since the child won’t be applying for credit until she or he is 18? And as a result, thieves can use the identity for extended periods of time, much longer than a regular adult before being caught. 

The ease by which children’s identities can be stolen is made possible by local and state public record acts, sunshine laws, and public registrar offices in local government agencies. Vital statistics offices are particularly targeted with false requests for birth records and copies by parties pretending to be parents and instead are thieves. While many of these offices do require notarization of requests made, a notary can be duped with a fake ID very quickly since many notaries are just mom-and-pop store functions.