Online Identity Thieves Target Teens and Young Adults

Identity theft is happening far too often. Criminals have taken aim at the vulnerable and inexperienced.  In 2014, 1.3 million identity theft cases involved people under the age of 16, but there are protective steps youth and parents can take to avoid or minimize on-line harm. If you or your child is the victim of identity theft, an experienced Nashville online theft attorney can help.

Why target young people?

Identity thieves focus on teenagers and young people for three reasons. The means by which these innocent Internet users are approached vary, but can occur via websites, mobile phone apps, file sharing programs, unsolicited text messages, or emails. The threads that young people often share make them a target, such as:

• Clean credit. Unlike seniors or other adults, young people’s credit scores tend to be low through a lack of use, rather than as a result of bankruptcy, excessive debt, or missed payments. However, a lack of credit can be an asset to an identity thief. With duplicitous use, the scam artist can build the target’s credit limit up, then use it and ruin the target’s credit.
• Lack of financial savvy and experience. Young people often are uneducated about safe financial practices and how to keep personal data secure, which makes them appealing marks for criminals. Many teens’ parents do not routinely check their children’s credit reports, and teens are generally unaware of the value of doing so. While the three major credit reporting companies—Experian, Trans-Union, and Equifax— may not intentionally keep data on people under the age of 13, in Tennessee and elsewhere, criminals have not hesitated to open accounts using children or infants’ accounts.
• Social media trust. Young people are far more willing to give identifying information over the Internet, often without even realizing it. A simple “happy birthday” online greeting to a parent followed by then linking to the parent’s social media can provide criminals with birthdates, maiden names, and personal information for a family.

Prevention steps

To reduce the incident of identity theft of young people, the State of Tennessee has taken specific measures. In 2015, Tennessee lawmakers passed a law giving parents the right to request a “security freeze” for their children under the age of 16. The freeze prevents criminals from requesting or gaining access to credit reports. Proof of identification is required to request or lift such a freeze. On the national level, increased financial literacy and an emphasis on good Internet habits have proven successful tools to reduce the incidence of identity theft targeting young people.

Though local, state, and federal measures are in effect, many people, of all ages, are still prey for identity thieves. Nearly 18 million people in 2014 (the latest year federal data is available) were targeted. In some cases, the offender misusing the identity of a child is a relative or a family friend.  Victims of identity theft should file a police report. The state has published a packet online detailing the steps to take after identity theft, a site with many local numbers and useful information. The process of repairing or rebuilding credit after identity theft is tedious, frustrating and difficult. You can take steps to repair your credit. Mr. Craft has successfully litigated for victims in federal court, but a civil remedy is not always practically available.

On the other hand, if you have been charged or accused of identity theft, immediately contact Nashville criminal defense attorney Perry Craft. To have your questions answered or to schedule an appointment, call the Law Office of Perry A. Craft, PLLC, at 615-953-3808 or fill out our contact form.