Child Identity Theft

Robert P. Chappell, Jr., is a 27 year veteran law enforcement officer. In 1986 he was honored with the Virginia Chief’s of Police award for Valor in the Line of Duty. Chappell began his career with the Virginia State Police in 1987 where he has worked for the past 25 years. He has served as a trooper, Narcotics Special Agent, uniformed Sergeant, First Sergeant, Assistant Special Agent-in-Charge with the Bureau of Criminal Investigation, and currently as a Lieutenant with the Bureau of Field Operations. He is considered to be an expert in the field of Child Identity Theft. Chappell is also a veteran of the Armed Forces having served 25 years with the United States Army Reserve, during which time he was awarded the Bronze Star, Army Combat Action Badge, 101st Airborne Air Assault combat patch, 11th Armored Cavalry combat patch, and the 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment Order of the Combat Spur. He retired in 2008 as a Lieutenant Colonel.

Part I: Understanding Child Identity Theft
1.What exactly is “child identity theft”?
2.How big of a problem is it?
3.Why do thieves target children?
4.Isn’t identity theft something only rich people have to worry about?
5.Who steals a child’s identity?
6.Is it true that children sometimes have their identities stolen by parents or other relatives?
7.What are the main reasons people steal children’s identities?
8.How do terrorists use a child’s identity?
9.How can my child’s personal information be used by undocumented workers?
10.Are some children more susceptible to targeting for child identity theft than others?
11.What makes foster children so vulnerable to identity theft?
12.Why are Hispanic children in the U.S. more likely to have their identities stolen than other children?
13.What is “synthetic identity theft” and “identity manipulation”?
14.Why are children with passports at risk?
15.Why is early detection so important?
16.Why does it often take so long to discover that a child’s identity has been stolen?
17.What are the laws regarding identity theft?


Part II: Recognizing How Child Identity Theft Happens
18.What is the primary way children’s identities are stolen?
19.What is cloning and how do cloning thieves steal a child’s identity?
20.Are there any protections against cloning?
21.How do telephone callers and scams put my child at risk?
22.Why are vishing, spoofing, and smishing so dangerous?
23.How can stolen information at an ATM compromise my children?
24.What is child-targeted phishing and pharming?
25.How can malware access my child’s personal information?
26.Why do children who have grown up with rules about computer usage still fall victim to scams?
27.What is a medical “Lobby Listener” and how can they harm my child?
28.How can my child’s school inadvertently jeopardize personal data?
29.What story does my office cubicle tell about me and my children?
30.How does mail theft provide identity thieves with valuable information?
31.Why would someone steal my household garbage?
32.What’s the best way to protect data on my laptop?
33.Why should I safeguard my luggage when traveling?
34.Can children of military personnel be targeted for child identity theft?
35.If someone sends my child a “chain letter” is there an identity theft risks?
36.It is a new school year and the forms sent home by the school ask for my child’s social security number. Am I required to give it?
37.My child reports that someone is following them. Could it be someone trying to steal their identity?
38.If someone uses my child’s identity to obtain a mortgage what do I do?
39.My child plays sports. Are there any child identity theft concerns I should be concerned with?

Part III: Detecting and Reporting Identity Theft
40.What are some early signs that my child has been victimized by identity theft?
41.How do adult victims of child identity theft usually discover it?
42.What is the most serious indicator that my child has become a victim of identity theft?
43.How can I find out for sure if my child’s identity has been stolen?
44.What should I do if my child starts to receive bills in the mail?
45.What actions should I take before I make the call to the police?
46.How and when should I report child identity theft to the police?
47.What should I know about working with the police on a child identity theft case?
48.When should I contact the Postal Service Inspector regarding a stolen identity?
49.What information do I need to provide as evidence of identity theft?
50.As a parent, if I am a victim of identity theft does it raise the chances that my child might be also?
51.Why military parents are often targeted for identity theft?
52.Why is child identity theft a problem for military children?
53.My child received a toy catalog in the mail in their name. Is this a sign that they have been targeted for identity theft?

Part IV. Dealing with Child Identity Theft
54.What are the different types of child identity theft victims?
55.What should I tell creditors if I suspect my child’s identity has been stolen?
56.What should I do if I am contacted by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) concerning my child and tax issues?
57.Do I need a lawyer?
58.What do I need to know about credit reporting agencies?
59. How can I obtain my child’s credit report?
60.What are my rights regarding what is in my child’s credit file and how can I correct errors?
61.How can I block identity theft–related information from showing up on my child’s credit report?
62.What is a fraud alert and when should I place one on my child’s credit file?
63.How long should I keep an alert on my child’s file?
64.What is a credit freeze and when should I ask for one for my child?
65.How can I clear my child’s name?
66.How did we get social security numbers in the first place?
67.What is an “area” number and how does it affect my child?
68.What are “group” numbers and “serial” numbers and how do they affect my child?
69.When should you obtain a social security number for your child?
70.Should I automatically request a new social security number for my child after discovering child identity theft?
71.If I work in a medical office what can I do to protect our patients?
72.I work in the medical profession. Help me understand medical identity theft vs. child identity theft and how I can make a difference.
73.If my child has become a victim of medical identity theft how do I correct the medical records?

Part V. Coping with the Emotional Fallout from Identity Theft
74.How do I explain identity theft to my child?
75.What emotional impact will child identity theft have on myfamily?
76.What emotional trauma can parents expect to experience in child identity theft?
77.I’m the one who took my child’s identity. What should I do?
78.How should I handle it when the thief turns out to be a relative?
79.When might counseling be a good idea?

Part VI: Preventing Child Identity Theft
80.What are the top ten mistakes that parents make that contribute to child identity theft?
81.Is the government doing anything to combat identity theft?
82.What two preventative measures can I take as a parent to protect my child from identity theft?
83.If I am a teacher what can I do to protect my students?
84.My child is in day care. What precautions should I take to protect their identity?
85.What is “cramming” and what can I do about it?
86.How can I keep up with ever-evolving scams?
87.How do I make sure I’m not carrying things in my wallet that could open my child up to identity theft?
88.How can a paper shredder protect my child?
89.Where is the best place to keep official documents relating to my children?
90. How can I protect myself and my child when using search engines and websites?
91. What can schools do to help safeguard students from child identity theft?
92. How might age verification of social security numbers help prevent child identity theft?
93.What are modeling scams and how can they affect my child’s identity?
94.Should I pay for identity protection insurance?

Part VII. Further resources
95.Where can I find other resources on child identity theft?
96.As a military family what resources are available to us?
97.Sample letter to credit agencies.
98.Journal Log Sample
99.Summary of protections for unauthorized use of credit and debit cards.

Part VIII. Bibliography