Average Age Of Child Identity Theft Victim: 12

MoneyTips

How did your toddler rack up thousands of dollars in charges on an unfamiliar credit card?It's not Junior's fault if identity thieves have stolen your child's identity and used it for fraudulent purchases.

According to Javelin Strategy and Research, over one million children were identity theft victims in 2017, racking up over $540 million in direct cost burdens to affected families.

Your child's identity is a desirable target for identity thieves because the theft is often undetected for years. Why would you expect an underage child to have credit activity? A new Experian survey finds that the average age of a child identity theft victim is twelve – implying that many years may pass before you find out about the crime. Even worse, your child may find out later in adult life when they try to open an account and discover their credit has already been abused and ruined.

When parents discover the fraud, how do they usually find out? Typically, either a bil...

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