Why children are lucrative targets for data thieves
People are understandably concerned about their online privacy in light of recent data breaches, but their children should also exercise caution.
But kids are increasingly lucrative to hackers, experts say. With the advent of smart toys, voice assistants, and tablets for children, they’re a hot market for fraudsters. More than 1 million children in the U.S. — or nearly 1.5% of minors — fell prey to some type of identity fraud in 2017, according to a 2018 report by Javelin Strategy & Research, incurring $2.6 billion in total losses and $540 million in families’ out-of-pocket expenses.
Fraudsters can get their hands on kids’ Social Security Numbers and other sensitive information through old-fashioned burglary or data breaches of schools or health-care providers. Fraudsters can get their hands on kids’ Social Security Numbers and other sensitive information through good old-fashioned burglary or data breaches of schools or health-care providers, O’Farrell said.
Start privacy discussions early and often. “Living and breathing privacy from the earliest time possible … seems to be the most effective way,” O’Farrell said. These conversations have become a part of modern parenting responsibilities, added Velasquez, in the same vein as teaching kids about traffic safety or money management. “We have to add into that canon: ‘Your identity credentials [are] how people are going to know you’re you, so you need to treat those like money,’” she said.
Lock down physical documents. If you have hard copies of personal documents like Social Security cards, birth certificates, passports or tax returns lying around your house, store them in a safe place that only other trusted people know about. This is especially important if your house sees significant foot traffic from roommates, care givers or other guests, Velasquez said.
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