Children are the most innocent creatures on earth, and ill-minded and manipulative crooks can take advantage of this innocence. The most evil advantage which is freely taking place in the fast pace of the progressing modern era is "online identity theft".
The thieves keep a check on personal information of children using credit cards and other personal information for the theft, as they are the easiest prey. Many parents are not aware of the risks factors that are included while facilitating the kids with modern technologies.
The Identity theft protection is the crucial step which should be initiated by the parents to savor themselves and their kids from this social stigma.
- Teach your children the value of privacy
The best way to protect your children is to teach them the value of privacy right from the beginning. Give them a detailed description of the cons of putting their personal private information on the web. Show them the importance of keeping their private information such as passwords, PIN numbers, bank account and credit card details and Social Security Numbers to themselves.
- Leave their Social Security cards somewhere safe at home
This is one tip that is not limited to children; rather it should be applied to everyone, regardless of their age. Never carry your Social Security Card in your wallet or use the number anywhere on the web unless the site is encrypted or if it is really necessary. This tip is universal and applies to everyone.
- Encourage your children to use strong passwords
Another major way to protect your child online is to encourage them to use strong and secure passwords. Passwords that are easily presumed such as their names, date of birth or pets should be discouraged. Also, for children that have PIN numbers, it would be prudent to change the number on occasion.
- Use Identity Theft Monitoring Services
An identity theft monitoring service alerts, monitors, and helps web surfers in managing online reputation by protecting personal information on the internet. It sends you alerts if too much personal information about your children such as Social security number, address, photos, phone number and full name or any other personal private information is found about them online. In addition, it also detects misuse of their identity, stops unwanted catalog and mail spam, enables browser privacy using easy to install plug-ins, cookie removal tools, and more.
