Don't Let Your Kids' Schools Release Their Personal Data

MoneyTips

Identity thieves love to steal children's identities. Nobody thinks to check their child's credit report because there's no reason to expect them to have one. Criminals can exploit the stolen identity undetected for years, until the child grows up to find his or her credit ruined.

How bad is the problem? The 2018 Child Identity Fraud Study from Javelin Strategy & Research found that over one million children were victims of identity theft in 2017 alone, with cumulative losses of $2.67 billion.

Criminals find children's identities anywhere they're stored in quantities, such as schools – and some of your child's personal information may be handed out there, just for the asking. Thanks to the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), public schools may release directory information on request.

Directory information varies by school district, but it may contain your child's name, address, phone number, birthday and birthplace, and email address...

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