MONEY MATTERS WITH SHEILA - ID THEFT

We all know that identity theft is rampant. Hackers are constantly worming their way into supposedly secure sites and stealing personal identification they then use to make phony credit cards to purchase items illegally or worse yet, wipe out the bank account of some unsuspecting person. But did you know that 11% of all children have had their Social Security numbers stolen? Criminals then secure loans with fake ID and never pay back a dime of the loans. The worst part of this is that you may not even be aware your child’s Social Security number has been stolen until years later when he or she applies for student loans and is denied credit.

How do you protect yourself and your children? The government offers a free guide that will help you. You can find it here.