Many child identity-theft victims from Florida
Many child identity-theft victims from Florida
By Jaclyn Rosansky, Sun Sentinel
5:49 p.m. EDT, August 13, 2011
Florida had 21,581 identity-theft cases last year, more than any other state, according to the Federal Trade Commission. And an increasing number of those cases are thefts of children's identities.
While the federal agency doesn't keep track of child identity-theft cases, a private identity-theft-protection company, AllClear ID, said that of 4,311 cases involving Social Security fraud over the last two years, more than 900 victims were in Florida.
Social Security numbers are stolen in break-ins at schools and hospitals, or electronically by using a computer virus, AllClear ID communications manager Kirsten Matetich said.
Social Security cards sometimes are stolen from the mail when a child is born, said Jennifer Davis, communications director for the Florida attorney general.
"These IDs haven't been used. They're blank slates. It's a crime that often goes unnoticed for years," said Bo Holland, CEO of AllClear ID.
After the date of birth and name associated with these numbers are changed, a thief can acquire false IDs for employment, commit financial fraud, bypass bad credit ratings, hide illegal-immigration status or take out loans, among other things.
Michelle Dennedy of Palo Alto, Calif., a mother of two, said she felt helpless when her daughter's identity was stolen.
In January, Dennedy learned that her 9-year-old daughter, Reilly, had been a victim of identity theft twice, once before she was born.
"I was incredibly upset and very, very angry," Dennedy said. It's frustrating to be a parent and have no control in a situation like identity theft, she said.
Dennedy, who was a privacy officer for 10 years, said someone used Reilly's Social Security number to rent an apartment in Arizona and to take out credit cards in her daughter's name.
When her daughter was issued a Social Security number, it already had been compromised.
This is how many child identity-theft cases occur, Holland said.
Dennedy found out her daughter was victimized by purchasing a child-ID theft report that scans credit, criminal, employment and medical records for any fraudulent activity.
The three major credit bureaus aren't permitted to keep records on children younger than 18, so when a child's Social Security number is stolen, it's that much harder to detect.
Even though the credit bureaus flagged her daughter's credit report for fraudulent information, they don't remove that information, Dennedy said.
"It's almost like a virus. You're never cured," she said.
Stealing a child's Social Security number is a second-degree felony, punishable by up to 15 years in prison and a $10,000 fine.
"The best defense is knowledge," Dennedy said. "This is a risk you have to prevent."
http://southflorida.sun-sentinel.com/ne ... 8884.story
