 TITLE: How to Protect Your Child From Identity Theft CONTENT: What to Do if Your Child's Identity Is Stolen\n---------------------------------------------\nIf you suspect your child is a victim of identity theft, your first step should be to check his or her credit reports at all three national credit bureaus, which you can do for free at AnnualCreditReport.com.\nUnless you've had credit reports created for purposes of security freezes, your child probably won't have a credit report on file at the bureaus. If credit reports already exist when you request a security freeze you should look into the possibility of fraud:\n*   Notify all three national credit bureaus that fraud may have occurred using your child's credit report and ask them to investigate.\n*   Notify the business or financial institution that issued the credit or loan, using contact information that appears on the credit report(s). Let the lender know the account was fraudulently opened in the name of your minor child and ask them to investigate.\n*   File a police report with your local law enforcement agency.\n*   [File a fraud report with the FTC](;panel1-1) online or by calling 877-438-4338.\nExperian has more resources on fraud and identity theft to help you and your family stay informed.\nChild identity theft is an ugly side effect of the information age, but attention and caution can help prevent it, or minimize the damage when it occurs. Taking prudent precautions such as applying a security freeze or using a family identity protection program such as Experian IdentityWorksSM can help keep children's personal information secure. END