Children’s ID could be at risk with start of school

PHOENIX — It’s mid-July but it won’t be long before kids will be heading back to class.

One thing parents need to be concerned about heading into the school year is protecting their child’s identity.

“Eight percent of all victims of identity theft are children 19 years of age and younger,” said Mark Pribish, an identity-theft expert with Merchants Information Solutions in Phoenix.

Pribish said the time children are most likely to have their Social Security Number stolen is when they go back to school.

“When kids are joining high school sports, or the band, or any other extracurricular club event at school, personal identifiable information is being asked on school forms,” Pribish said.

“A very common question is ‘What is the child’s Social Security Number?’ That is not a piece of information that parents should be sharing.”

Pribish said that most schools will honor parental decisions not to give that information to the school.