Most of us have heard the horror stories of identity theft and how it can devastate your credit and even several other aspects of your life. It can take years to prove fraudulent use of one’s identity and restore your credit and reputation. Identity theft is a growing problem and has been on the rise as more personal and financial information than ever before is stored online.

We know adults are at risk for identity theft, but did you know your child is at risk too? In fact, the rate of child identity theft has risen dramatically in the last few years and is estimated to affect between 140,000 to 400,000 kids. And because most parents are not aware of the problem, most cases are not discovered until the child reaches the age of 18 and applies for a credit card or loan or enrolls in college. By that time, identity thieves have wreaked havoc using that child’s identity and the child is left having to clean up the mess.

Child identity theft can even begin before you’ve registered your child for a social security number. A software program used by identity thieves to predict which social security number will be assigned to a person has made it easier for the thieves to steal and begin using the number before anyone is the wiser. Fortunately the government found out about this software and last summer a more randomized method of assigning social security numbers was developed and is now being used which will help curb the problem some but there are other methods identity thieves can use to obtain your child’s number.

For example, remember those forms you filled out for your child’s doctor? What about for your child’s school? Did they ask for a social security number? Most do and so most of us assume it is mandatory for us to provide that information. But did you know you can refuse to share that number? You can simply leave it blank. In most cases, you will not be asked for it again but if you are, you can ask why they need the number and if you do not wish to provide it, then don’t. Some states do require a social security number for school enrollment but even those states may make an exception so you can ask if it is absolutely mandatory.

Another thing to be aware of is if you receive credit card offers or other mail in your child’s name that might indicate something is amiss. When my son was 6 years old, we received a credit card offer in his name. At the time we laughed it off and my husband even went so far as to fill out the application in crayon and was tempted to mail it in as a joke but thought better of it. We never considered it might indicate a problem with our son’s identity because we had never heard of child identity theft back then. Now, eleven years later, we’ve learned that such offers could indicate someone has used a child’s identity to either apply for a credit card, loan, or for use with purchasing a cell phone or utilities or any number of other transactions. I was dismayed to learn this information and worried that my son’s credit and identity might be compromised. So when I was offered the opportunity to become a kID Sure ambassador, I knew it was an offer I couldn’t refuse, not just for my peace of mind but especially because this is important information that all of us parents need to be aware of and I wanted to share it with you.

The kID Sure Child Identity Protection program offered through IDENTITY GUARD protects kids from identity theft by searching thousands of records for any indication of activity including social security number exposure, criminal records, DMV records, and utilities records. If any activity is found, parents are provided with the information in a “Digital Footprint” report and steps to take to protect the child’s identity.

After registering for the program, I was eager to learn if there was any activity on my son’s report. I was very relieved to discover that no activity was detected and his identity appears to be safe. Having the protection offered by kID Sure also reassures me that if any activity is detected in the future, we will be notified right away. This means we won’t be hit with any unpleasant surprises when my son applies for college or applies for his first job, credit card, or loan in the near future.

IDENTITY GUARD has been protecting people from identity theft for over 16 years and provides comprehensive protection for adults and children. You can learn more about IDENTITY GUARD and the kID Sure protection by visiting the IDENTITY GUARD website. For more information on protecting your family from identity theft, you are invited to download three free e-books from IDENTITY GUARD and watch the video below about the kID Sure program and how it can protect your child.

As a kID Sure ambassador, I will be sharing more information and tips for you to protect your child in future posts.

Disclosure: This service was provided to me for review at no charge. In addition I received monetary compensation. All opinions are my own.