One out of ten children is targeted for identity theft.

Child identity theft is a rising problem. Upon stealing a child’s social security number, a thief can run up a hefty amount of credit card debt, take out loans and establish driver’s licenses—and the crimes often go unnoticed until the victim is of age to apply for a credit card or take out college loans.

Gerry Smith of the The Huffington Post recently covered the topic in a series he called “Burdened Beginnings.” He points out:

  • Schools often put children at risk for identity theft
  • Foster children are a targeted demographic
  • Relatives are often the culprits behind theft of a child’s identity. In fact, more than 500,000 children have had their identities stolen by a parent.

CSID put together an infographic to draw attention to the growth of child identity theft, address potential causes and provide recommendations for parents to minimize risk. Check out the graphic in full on CSID’s Facebook and below.