What day is National Child Identity Theft Awareness Day celebrated? September 1
Why is this day being celebrated? Experian, the world’s leading global information services company, has been using the power of data and analytics to protect consumers’ from identity theft and fraud for many years. Identity theft has become a nationwide issue with 15 million Americans falling victim in 2017, according to The Harris Poll. Not only are adults victims – but children are being targeted at increasingly alarming rates. A report by Javelin revealed that over a million children were affected resulting in losses totaling $2.6 billion and families paying over $540 million out of pocket last year. Children are prime targets for identity thieves because their credit histories are clean slates and a criminal can possibly use a child’s information over a long period of time without being detected. Unfortunately, parents are not well educated on the topic and do not periodically check if their child has a credit report and fraudulent financial accounts in his/her name. Experian would like to bring greater awareness to this problematic issue. A commemorative day would establish a national platform for many concerned citizens, government officials, and child advocacy and safety groups to join in this cause.
Experian chose September 1 as the date because they feel that parents are in the ‘back to school’ mindset and will focus increased attention to this issue as they do many other child-related topics as they get their child(ren) ready for school and exposure to the greater world. They hope that as parents go down their back to school mental checklist, they will add securing their child’s personal information as an important task. While protecting a child from identity theft is not a one-time endeavor, hopefully this day and seasonal period will serve as a reminder each year to always still vigilant.
Who founded this day? This day was founded by Experian in 2018
How to celebrate: If you would like to support the cause and spread awareness about child identity theft, there are many ways to participate. If you are a member of the media, use this opportunity each year to write a story reminding parents to protect their children. If you are a parent and/or leader in the community, engage in conversations on social media to spread awareness and education-don’t forget to use the hashtag #StopChildIDTheft. In schools, as a teacher incorporate into your curriculum safety education teaching children how to protect their personal information such as their name and home phone number from strangers and, for older children, how to be safe online. For information and resources about child identity theft and other identity theft topics, visit www.experian.com/education.