Identity theft. Updated 2026-09-13. About 5 minutes to read.
Ask each US credit bureau to check for a file under your child's Social Security number, and if there is none, request a free freeze so one cannot be opened.
Synthetic identity fraud creates a person who does not exist. The Federal Reserve defines it as using a combination of personal information to fabricate a person or entity for financial gain. Typically a real Social Security number is paired with a made-up name and date of birth, then used to build a credit history over months before the credit is maxed out.
Children's numbers are prized because nobody checks a child's credit, so the fraud can run for years. In the US you can check whether your child already has a credit file and place a free freeze at each bureau. This guide explains the process for Equifax, Experian and TransUnion, and what to do elsewhere.
An adult notices a strange account when they apply for a mortgage or check their own report. A child does not apply for credit until 18, so a stolen number can be used for a decade before anyone looks. Generally a child under 18 will not have a credit report at all unless someone created one.
The damage shows up at the worst time: a refused student loan, a first apartment application that fails a credit check, or a phone contract turned down. Cleaning it up is possible, but it takes letters, reports and time.
The FTC says that if your child is under 16, you can request a free credit freeze. The bureau creates a file for the child and freezes it, which makes it harder to open new accounts using that number.
A freeze is strong protection against ordinary identity theft. It is less complete against synthetic fraud, because an application in a different name may not always match your child's frozen file. Check again every couple of years and before your child turns 18.
Children in Australia, the UK and Canada rarely have credit files, and there is no routine child freeze. If you suspect misuse, ask the main credit bureaus in your country for a copy of any file in your child's name. In Australia, a credit ban can be requested if fraud is suspected, and IDCARE on 1800 595 160 gives free advice.
Everywhere, the best prevention is sharing the number less. Ask why a school, sports club or clinic needs your child's ID number before writing it on a form, shred documents that show it, and act fast on any breach notice from a school or health provider.
Traditional identity theft uses your real name and details to open accounts as you. Synthetic identity fraud blends a real ID number with invented details to create a new person, so the victim often gets no alerts at all.
For most US families it is a sensible, free step, especially after a data breach at a school or medical provider. Keep the documents together so you can lift the freeze when your child needs credit.
Generally not for young children. Equifax and TransUnion ask parents to mail requests with documents, and Experian requires mail for children 13 and under. Teens can do more themselves.
No. A 16 or 17 year old can request their own freeze at Equifax, and you can still check for existing files. Doing it before 18 means problems surface before the first real credit application.
Not reliably. Monitoring watches a file under your name. A synthetic identity may create a separate file under a different name, so a direct check for files linked to the ID number is more useful.