Youth in foster care are particularly vulnerable to identity theft. When personal information such as a youth’s social security number is shared among individuals and agencies, that information can fall into the wrong hands. Victims of identity theft and credit fraud can experience financial problems such as being denied credit or loans or being unable to rent an apartment.
This website provides information for current and former foster youth and those who support them to help prevent, identify and resolve identity theft and credit fraud. In addition, the Identity Theft Resource Center can provide assistance to anyone who thinks they are a victim of identity theft. You can contact the Identity Theft Resource Center at www.idtheftcenter.org/ or 888.400.5530.
Test Your Knowledge About Identity Theft
Prevent Identity Theft
If you are in foster care, there are important steps you can take to help prevent identity theft. The key is to keep your personal information private. If you are a foster parent or someone who works with youth in foster care, you can assist youth in learning best practices for protecting information in documents and online. You can also help youth take proactive protective steps such as creating fraud alerts.
Tips for preventing identity theft:
- Do not share personal information with or around strangers.
- Protect documents with personal information like birth certificates, social security numbers, bank statements, and medical records by keeping them in a secure space with limited access, like a safety deposit box.
- Use best practices to protect online accounts (i.e. strong passwords, multi-factor authentication)
- Ask questions about who's collecting personal information and why they need it.
Fraud Alert
A fraud alert informs creditors that you may be a victim of identity theft. A fraud alert is like a flag on your credit report that asks creditors to make sure it is really you before approving new credit in your name.
Identify If You Are a Victim
An important way to find out if you are a victim of identity theft is to check out your credit reports. The videos below show you how to get credit reports for free and what to look for when you review them. There are other signs of identity theft that you should be aware of as well. Scroll through the cards below for more information.
What is a credit report?
Your credit report shows things like how many credit cards you have, how many loans you’ve taken out, and whether you pay your bills on time. If there is inaccurate information on your credit report, you may be a victim of identity theft.
How to Check Your Credit Report?
Checking your credit report is easy! You can do it for free once a year, click below for more information.
Signs You Might Be a Victim of Identity Theft
Resolve Identity Theft Issues
If you find out that someone has used your personal information to create accounts or take out loans, there are important steps you can take to fix the situation. There are organizations that can help you remove accounts that aren’t yours from your credit report and prevent new accounts from being opened.
What to do if I am affected by Identity Theft?
The Identity Theft Resource Center can help guide you through the steps necessary to quickly resolve issues and protect yourself.
Video coming soon!