Children and the Elderly — Prime Targets for Identity Theft

It’s never too early to start monitoring your own credit score and report. If you’re a parent, it’s important to do the same with the report of your children, even if it’ll be more than a decade before they have to apply for a loan or a job. Getting an early start on credit report monitoring will help you prevent credit fraud from hitting your home. If you don’t already know, identity theft tricksters stay on the prowl for the easiest targets they can get — children and the elderly. The reason these two groups are targeted by criminals is that they tend to have the best credit and do not check their reports very often, if at all.

Children have excellent credit because, being minors, they have a complete lack of financial history; the elderly, on the other hand, with their fruitful maturity, typically keep good credit and have at their disposal a lifetime of investments and savings. Both groups also under-monitor their credit reports. The victimization of the elderly diminishes their standard of living when their options for improving it tend to be limited. Child identity theft is especially insidious because no one thinks to check their credit scores or reports until they turn 18. By then, they must face the consequences of poor credit — being rejected for employment and student loans. Don’t let identity theft ensnare you or your loved ones. Get a free credit score online today.