Will Kids Be the Next Generation of Stolen Identity Victims? FEBC Says They Already Are

Back when the internet was really gaining traction among kids, parents would drill into their kids' heads to not give out personal information to strangers online. With social media platforms being the way they are, it's a little bit harder to explain to them why giving away information can be trouble later on. In some cases, the information given out could spell financial disaster. Financial Education Benefits Center (FEBC), a membership benefits program, wants to warn people about a more recent target of identity theft: kids.

"A problem with putting information on the web is that once it's there, it never actually goes away - someone just has to know how to find it," said Jennifer Martinez, manager at FEBC. Sometimes kids don't understand how important it is to keep certain information safe. They're much more likely to give out information to a seemingly nice stranger, such as date of birth and their social security number. In 2017, more than $2.6 billion worth of identity theft damage was dealt to children. That kind of damage has the potential to haunt those children for years, and without them or their parents knowing about it until they're looking to apply for credit down the road.

For FEBC members, there's a chance for more peace of mind about the damage a stolen identity can cause. FEBC works with LifeLock to bring members identity theft protection, from early detection to remediation, while LifeLock is always developing new tools to keep sensitive personal information more secure. "At FEBC, we want to help people achieve personal and financial wellness, so we strive to offer discounts and services that are relevant to our members' goals and needs," said Martinez.


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SOURCE Financial Education Benefits Center