FamilyAtlasDo this first
- Verify any suspicious notice through an official contact.
- Do not send identity documents to an unsolicited sender.
- Contact Equifax, Experian and TransUnion using official minor procedures.
- Request the appropriate free freeze.
- Report discovered fraud and keep recovery case numbers.
In the United States, investigate unexplained bills, benefit notices or credit-related letters addressed to your child rather than assuming every unfamiliar message is genuine. Contact the organization through an independently verified route. The FTC advises checking with all three credit bureaus if you suspect child identity theft and using a free credit freeze to help prevent new credit accounts.
For a child under 16, a parent or guardian can request the freeze; ages 16–17 can request their own. Each bureau has its own secure process and documentation requirements. A freeze is prevention, not a repair of fraud already committed, and it does not stop every misuse of a Social Security number. If fraudulent accounts exist, use IdentityTheft.gov and the relevant organizations’ dispute processes. This guide is U.S.-specific; families elsewhere should consult their national identity-theft authority instead of mailing documents to U.S. credit bureaus.
Federal Trade Commission: Protect your child from identity theft
The parent concern
Families may dismiss a letter because children do not normally borrow, or mistake a freeze for a complete repair of every identity misuse.
Check the warning through a trusted route
A bill or denial of benefits can be a reason to investigate, but a frightening message may itself be a scam. Look up the organization’s official contact details independently. Keep the notice and a record of your inquiry without posting the child’s Social Security number or identity documents online.
Federal Trade Commission: Protect your child from identity theft · FTC: How To Recognize and Avoid Phishing Scams
Contact all three bureaus about the child
The FTC identifies Equifax, Experian and TransUnion and advises a check when theft is suspected. Use each bureau’s official child or minor process; an adult credit-report workflow may not be suitable. Ask how to search for a file associated with the child’s Social Security number and follow its documentation instructions securely.
Federal Trade Commission: Protect your child from identity theft
Request a free minor credit freeze
For children under 16, a parent or guardian can place a free freeze with each bureau; sixteen- and seventeen-year-olds can request their own. Use official bureau pages, keep the confirmations securely and record how to lift a freeze when legitimately needed later. Do not send identity documents to a contact discovered through an unsolicited message.
Federal Trade Commission: Protect your child from identity theft
Repair existing fraud separately
If a fraudulent account is identified, use IdentityTheft.gov for a recovery plan and contact the business and bureaus about correction. Keep case numbers and copies of your written requests in a secure place. Follow the official process for the particular misuse; freezing credit is not the same as closing a fraudulent account or resolving a tax or benefits problem.
Federal Trade Commission: Protect your child from identity theft
Know what the freeze does not do
A freeze makes new-credit identity theft harder. It does not prevent all medical, tax or benefit misuse or erase existing debt records. Treat it as one part of a response. Store the child’s sensitive documents with limited access and use official channels when an organization genuinely needs them.
Federal Trade Commission: Protect your child from identity theft
My Child’s Social Security Number Was Exposed in a Data Breach — What Now?
What you can do right now
- Verify the suspicious notice independently.
- Contact all three bureaus through their official sites.
- Use the appropriate minor freeze process.
- Report and dispute any existing fraud.
- Keep case records and identity documents secure.
A way to start the conversation
“This is an adult paperwork problem, not something you caused. We will check the official records and protect your information.”
A suggested script to adapt, not a clinical intervention.
What technology cannot solve
A credit freeze cannot stop every form of identity theft or remove existing fraud. This is general U.S. consumer guidance, not individualized legal or financial advice.
Questions parents ask
Is a child credit freeze free?
The FTC describes free freezes with each of the three credit bureaus.
Can I freeze credit for a child under 16?
A parent or guardian can use the bureaus’ minor freeze processes.
Does a freeze erase fraudulent accounts?
No. Existing fraud requires reporting and correction separately.
Sources and review
Provider documentation explains settings and eligibility. Professional guidance provides context, while our suggested family strategies are labeled separately. FamilyAtlas’s device and release limits are stated above.
- Federal Trade Commission — Protect your child from identity theft safety · checked 2026-09-30
- FTC — How To Recognize and Avoid Phishing Scams safety · checked 2026-09-30
Next source review: 2026-12-30. Menus, eligibility and rollouts can change; follow the linked provider instructions if your screen differs.
Written by FamilyAtlas; product descriptions are not independent product recommendations. No claim of medical or psychological review is made.