 TITLE: How to Teach Your Kids About Money and Credit CONTENT: How to Protect Your Child's Credit\n----------------------------------\nWhile it may come as a surprise that children can be the unwitting victims of identity theft, there are steps parents can take to limit that possibility. Many are the same as the precautions you'd take to protect your own credit: Keep their Social Security number safe, limit the amount of personal information you or your child shares online, and protect documents at home that could provide identifying information if they fall into the wrong hands.\nYou can also stay vigilant about the signals that identity theft has already happened: Is your child already receiving bills or credit card offers in their name? Has the government confirmed that someone with your child's Social Security number is already receiving benefits when you tried to apply? If you are concerned your child's identity has been compromised, contact the credit bureaus to see if there's a credit report in your child's name when there shouldn't be.\nYou can then dispute incorrect credit report information directly with the credit bureaus and take other actions. END