Identity theft is a scary thing. It can impact parts of your life that you think are safe and protected. Fraud Squad TV recently ran an episode covering an identity theft that resulted in an individual almost losing her home because fraudsters had managed to place a mortgage on her home without her knowledge. Here is another angle to consider. Imagine doing your 14 year olds income taxes for the first time. He or she had a summer job and made some money so you decide to start the tax process with them. To your surprise the tax man gets back to you to let you know that a return has already been filed and the birth date they have on the file is not the same as the one you are using. You don't understand. With a little more digging you discover that by using your child’s Social Security Number and a few artfully produced counterfeit documents, your child’s identity has been stolen and is being used to create a life for someone else. It may be the case that the individual using your child’s identity has good credit and only needed an identity to use because they are in the country illegally. Or it could be someone that has stolen your child’s identity and ruined his or her credit before they even have a chance to start to build it. This situation could take years to sort out and could affect student loans, car purchases and employment opportunities for your child in the future. My suggestion is to check your personal credit ratings regularly and go as far as to check the rating of any child that has a social security number. With a valid number and some forged documents your life could be turned upside down by a crafty fraudster.

If you have been a victim of identity theft go to Take Action on the Web Site and let us know. We would love to hear your story and you can see more on this and other types of fraud on Fraud Squad TV.

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