It never ceases to amaze – the extent to which identity thieves will go to obtain the information they need in order to steal money and commit crimes.
A woman in northeastern England lost her daughter after undergoing heart surgery. A few years later, she discovered a fraudulent Facebook profile featuring pictures of herself and her deceased daughter. The site was accepting donations for a heart transplant for the woman’s daughter, who was born with a heart valve that was too narrow.
The woman, understandably, was terribly upset, but said the incident was even more difficult for her to deal with because her daughter is deceased.
The profile was traced to Jamaica. Visitors to the site were asked to share the link, which would supposedly result in a free heart transplant if 1,000 people participated. There was also a PayPal account attached to the profile, which allowed for people to make donations.
According to ID Analytics, more than 140,000 children are victimized by identity thieves each year. Most often, the thief steals a child’s Social Security number, and thieves often target deceased children.
If you suspect that your child’s Social Security number has been compromised, you should check to see if there is a credit report. If you find one, it’s highly likely that your child’s information has been stolen.
To protect your child’s information, do not provide it to anyone unless you know how they plan to use it and how the information will be handled after you have surrendered it. This includes schools. Don’t be afraid to ask if another form of identification can be used instead.
