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Teen Identity Theft a Growing Concern
Problem largely
unrecognized
(ARA) - The dream of obtaining their first driver's license is turning into a
nightmare for a growing number of teenagers who are discovering for the first
time they are victims of identity theft. Identity theft is a crime in which an
imposter obtains key pieces of information such as Social Security and driver's
license numbers to obtain credit, merchandise and services in the name of his or
her victim.
"Young people under the age of 29 years old have become the number one
demographic target for identity thieves," Betsy Broder of the Federal Trade
Commission said at a recent summit on teen ID theft sponsored by Qwest
Communications. "Young people comprise an estimated 31 percent of the some
10 million identity thefts annually throughout the country."
Broder said the first time many teenagers discover their identification has been
stolen is when they apply for a driver's license or credit card and discover
someone else has been using their name and Social Security number.
Concerned that teenagers are often overlooked by organizations that educate the
public on identity theft, Qwest Communications recently sponsored a one-day
summit in Denver devoted exclusively to the problem of teenage identity theft.
The first-of-its-kind summit brought together influential members from business,
government, academia and the media to identify the problems young people face
with respect to identity theft and develop initiatives to help protect them.
Broder, who is assistant director of the FTC's Division of Planning and
Information, and a panel of other experts noted that identity theft is one of
the fastest growing financial crimes in the United States, costing businesses
some $48 billion a year in losses and an estimated $5 billion in losses to
consumers. They urged businesses, schools and others to help educate young
people on how to protect themselves against becoming the primary target of
identity thieves.
With little knowledge of financial transactions or credit reports, teenagers and
young people are particularly vulnerable to identity theft. Identity thefts can
occur before a teenager even reaches the age of 18, the time when most minors
are eligible to enter into contracts and apply for credit cards.
"Identity theft is affecting teens the same way it affects adults,"
says Diane Terry, senior director of fraud victim assistance at the national
credit bureau, TransUnion. "The main difference is that teenagers are often
less educated about the warning signs that suggest they may be victims. We
really need more focused education to reach teens."
Terry and others note that it can be an exceptionally traumatic experience for
anyone to discover their identity has been stolen, but that it is particularly
painful for young people.
"It feels like you have no control over your life," says Rhea Takara
of San Diego, Calif., whose estranged father stole her identity when she was 18
years old and forged her name on credit card receipts and established business
accounts using her personal information. "Lots of people don't even want to
talk about it because the theft often involves a relative or someone they know.
It was very hard for me to be betrayed by a parent."
In addition to relatives, roommates and other acquaintances, law enforcement
officials say domestic drug rings and Eastern European gangs are heavily into
identity theft and credit card fraud. Young methamphetamine addicts are
particularly drawn to identity theft as an easy way to create and use
counterfeit checks to support their drug use. According to officials, they steal
identity information from the mail, their employers and fellow employees, car
break-ins, burglaries and through dumpster-diving.
The Internet has become an appealing place for criminals to obtain identifying
data, such as passwords, Social Security numbers and credit card information,
particularly from young people who are the biggest users of the Web. Thieves
often attempt to get identity information through chat rooms or by enticing
people to divulge personal information through specially designed Web sites or
pop-up windows that pose as legitimate commercial sites.
The experts say teens need to understand that identity theft is a serious crime
that demands a response. There is no need to become paranoid or stop using the
Internet, but the experts suggest teens be extremely cautious about divulging
sensitive personal information to anyone, particularly when it involves
unsolicited requests.
Other tips to help teenagers and young people prevent identity fraud include:
* Don't be intimidated. Tell adults (e.g. coaches, teachers and employers) who
ask for Social Security, driver's license and credit card numbers that you want
to know how they'll use it and how they'll protect it from identity theft.
* Guard your personal information. It's valuable, so password-protect your
laptops, wireless phones, pagers and MP3 players and don't store personal
identification information on these and other devices. Carefully destroy papers
you throw out -- using a cross-cut shredder if possible - that contain personal
identifying information.
* Check yourself out. When you turn 16, frequently check bank and credit card
statements for irregularities and ask for help on how to monitor your credit
reports at least once a year.
Experts at the Qwest Summit urged businesses to partner with local schools, law
enforcement agencies, consumer groups and others in promoting information
campaigns for teens and young people on the dangers of identity theft.
The experts also noted that businesses and other organizations that fail to take
reasonable precautions to protect their own employees and customers from
identity theft are leaving themselves open to lawsuits from consumer action
attorneys acting on behalf of the victims.
They recommend all businesses -- not just financial institutions -- conduct a
thorough review of how they acquire, distribute and dispose of sensitive
personal information.
Some questions businesses should ask themselves about identity theft, include:
* Do we really need the information we are asking for -- such as Social Security
numbers -- and, if so, are we acquiring it in a safe manner?
* What computer security measures have we placed around the systems storing
personal data?
* Who has access to sensitive personal information from employees and customers
and have they gone through a background check?
* Are documents containing personal information shredded or rendered unreadable
before disposal in office trash containers and company dumpsters?
* Do we provide our employees (and customers) with a secure place to store their
purses and laptops containing personal information?
Qwest's 2004 Summit on Protecting Teens from Identity Theft, is but one part of
the company's overall program to protect consumers from fraud and identity
theft. Qwest Communications has created a Web site at www.qwest.com/identitytheft
which includes a free teen video available for download, detailed information on
identity theft especially for teens and more information on the Teen Summit and
its findings.
Courtesy of ARA Content