How identity theft impacts children

Guidance for parents about online identity theft

Children’s trusting nature and curiosity can unfortunately leave them open to cyber attacks such as identity theft. This can have a lasting impact on their digital wellbeing and finances.

See what the research says below before exploring ways to prevent and deal with child identity theft.

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Just like adults, children may be at risk of having their online identity stolen or misused. It can be difficult to maintain a child’s privacy as they may not understand what information is safe to share online.

Children can unwittingly reveal too many personal details online, leaving them open to identity theft. A child’s stolen identity may not be noticed for years and could result in blackmail, grooming, or bullying.

Unexplained bills, emails from unrecognized organisations as well as letters regarding government benefits or tax payments may indicate a stolen identity.

4 quick things to know about identity theft

What is child identity theft?

Online child identity theft

It’s when someone steals a child’s personal information or data and use it to open credit cards or bank accounts, apply for loans, commit scams and more.

What does the research say?

Quick facts and stats

By the time children reach 13, parents will share 1300 photos and videos of them on social media.
94% of families did not have identity protection in place when their child became a victim of identity fraud.
25% of 13-17-year-olds experienced scams, fraud or phishing online.
The information parents share about their children online will lead to 2/3 of the identity theft committed against young people by 2030.

How do children get their identity stolen?

Causes of children’s online identity theft:

data breaches on the platforms, sites or apps they use;
doxxing (someone else sharing their information publicly);
parents oversharing information about their child;
children oversharing their own information;
sharing their passwords or logins with friends;
phishing and other types of scams.

What are the signs of online identity theft?

Signs of children’s online identity theft:

unexpected bills;
unfamiliar emails;
letters from Government or other organisations;
blockers when applying for bank accounts.

Stay safe from data breaches

See advice from The National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) on creating secure accounts.

LEARN MORE

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What is child identity theft?

Child identity theft is when someone steals a child’s personal information or data. They then use this information to open credit cards or bank accounts, apply for loans, commit cyber crimes like scams and more.

Unfortunately, identity theft that targets children can go unnoticed for many years or even into adulthood. When they apply for a credit card or try to open an account, a credit check might reveal poor credit because of identity theft as a child.

How cyber criminals target children

While we use the term ‘cyber criminals’ here, we don’t just mean strangers. Children’s identity is often stolen by people known to the child or family, not just strangers online. In fact, a US study found that this was true in 75% of child identity fraud cases.

Still, when it comes to online identity theft, children are often more vulnerable. This is likely due to their trusting nature, vulnerability and willingness to share a lot about themselves.

Children could become victims of identity theft through:

data breaches on the platforms, sites or apps they use;
doxxing (someone else sharing their information publicly);
parents oversharing information about their child;
children oversharing their own information;
sharing their passwords or logins with friends;
phishing and other types of scams.

How does identity theft impact children?

Actions and behaviours from both children and their parents can lead to child identity theft. See the ways children are impacted and what actions might lead to it.

According to Barclays, the information parents share about their children online will lead to two-thirds of the identity theft committed against young people by 2030.

70% of reports made to UK’s National Fraud Database were about identity fraud.

A US study found 94% of families did not have identity protection in place when their child became a victim of identity fraud.

According to Ofcom, 25% of 13-17-year-olds experienced scams, fraud or phishing online.

A report from the Children’s Commissioner says that by the time children reach 13, parents will share 1300 photos and videos of them on social media. Parents average 71 photos and 29 videos of their child per year.

The same report says by the time children reach 18, they will post their own content nearly 70,000 times on social media.

What are the signs of child identity theft?

If someone steals your child’s identity, you might notice some of the following.

Unexpected bills: Your child might receive bills via regular mail or email for things they never purchased. This could include subscriptions or services.
Unfamiliar emails: Someone might create new online accounts or sign up to services using your child’s email address. This might result in their inbox filling with emails from companies they don’t normally use.
Letters from Government or other organisations: Your child might receive regular mail from the Government, banks or organisations offering financial support or benefits. Generally, these will not be services offered to children.
Blockers when applying for bank accounts: If you try to open a bank account for or with your child, you might notice a poor credit score before they even start building their credit.

If you notice any of the signs above — or any other unusual activity — it’s best to contact Action Fraud for support. Additionally, if your child has any bank accounts in their name, contact their banks.

Learn more about dealing with child identity theft.