Information Management Companies Advise – Add Credit Checks for Your Kids 

It’s time for back to school! While the dog days of summer are in full swing, parents are helping their kids find school supplies, buy new clothes, and find their locker in middle school. Some kids have graduated high school and are heading to college for the first time. This is a busy time for families as they finish summer and prepare for fall. Some others are secretively excited about all the hustle and bustle…cyber thieves. They know parents are dropping hundreds of dollars on supplies, and new college students are getting their first credit cards. Many are going to be conducting their studies online, too. These are activities ripe for the harvest if you aren’t careful. Unfortunately, some kids will discover that their identity has already been stolen. You understand the benefits of shredding outdated documents and storing vital records securely for yourself. Now is the time to help protect your children from child identity theft.

Tips to Teach Your Kids How to Prevent Child Identity Theft

Don’t let your son or daughter become a sneaky cyber thief’s next target. Use these tips to ramp up your kids’ protection:

1. Ask questions from your child’s preschool. Yes, you will want to start as early as possible. When you register your little one for preschool, the school may ask for additional information, such as their social security number. This is a cyber criminal’s golden egg. As you fill out enrollment paperwork, sign them up for gymnastics, or take them to the doctor’s office, you may be asked to provide their social security number. It’s okay to ask them why it is needed and how it will be used. You may find it is more of a formality than mandatory.
2. Encourage your elementary schoolers not to share personal information. Kids in elementary school can be very open with strangers. Often, they want to share as much information as possible. It’s essential to encourage your son or daughter not to share personal information with strangers or people they don’t know very well, especially if they are online. It would be best if you guided them to discover who they can and cannot trust.
3. Teach your middle schooler about online safety. Your middle schooler will begin to use the internet more and create online accounts. It’s best to teach them how to make strong passwords to keep thieves out. Instruct them on how to make a complex password using twelve or more characters, including letters, numbers, and symbols, avoid using private information like a birthday, and change their password regularly.
4. Remind your high schooler that the internet is forever. In high school, many kids have smartphones and become active on various social media sites. They must understand that whatever they post will be on the internet forever, so they need to make wise decisions. Talk to them about utilizing tight privacy settings and avoid exchanging any personal information online. They will also need to be aware of the photos they post online.
5. Check their credit. Reviewing your child’s credit report annually is a great idea, just like you do yours. You will also want to set a freeze on their accounts, too. This can help thwart attempts to access your kid’s credit before they get a chance to use it in their adult years.

Depend on the Pros for Document Shredding and Storing 

Cyber crimes will continue to rise. To protect your family, you need to draw a line in the playground sand and utilize professional document shredding services. The team at Crown Information Management understands that children are a vulnerable target and can help you and your family with shredding and storage needs. We have many different services to meet your needs, including shredding, storage, media and product destruction, and document scanning. Call us today, and let’s work together, confident in the knowledge that you have a team of professionals supporting your family every step of the way!

For experienced help with shredding, media destruction, records management, and document storage, call Crown Information Management. You can reach us at 800-979-9545 or contact us online to learn more about our services. Put our team to work for you. We are a SOC1 Report,NAID AAA, and PCI Certified company.