A 6-year-old boy in Wisconsin was recently targeted by a woman for identity theft – and the boy’s mother wasn’t surprised.
Investigators in the case say the boy’s Social Security information was used recently to take out a $16,000 loan for a new car. But it wasn’t the first time his information had been used to commit identity fraud. His mother said she received a call regarding a credit card he was to receive when the boy was a toddler. She just thought it was a mistake and dismissed the call.
The car loan was approved by a credit union, which likely didn’t do enough research into who the Social Security number belonged to.
Consumers need to be vigilant in order to protect themselves – and their children – from identity theft. This includes closely monitoring bank and credit card statements for suspicious purchases.
Keeping an eye on these statements is crucial because the quicker the reaction, the better chance police have of making an arrest. If a credit card was used at a local retailer, investigators can review security tapes to find a suspect.
But the fact of the matter is that no one is completely safe from identity theft. A consumer’s information could be available for purchase online for anyone willing to pay as little as $3. Searching “fullz” online will reveal pages of listings where hackers have posted prices for information for sale. Some sellers post the personal information of others as a free sample, then others or additional information is available for a price.
Investigators in the Wisconsin case say their best advice to consumers is to “be paranoid” – it’s best to err on the side of paranoia and overprotect yourself than to be careless and watch your good name and credit slip through your fingers.
