Identity theft may seem like it will never affect you, but the odds are likely it will. In today’s world, you are more likely to have your identity stolen than your car broken into. An even more shocking statistic is children’s identities are stolen more often than we realize.

Children are attractive targets because their credit history is completely clean. As a parent, you may not think to run a credit report on your child, especially since individuals aren’t supposed to build credit until they are 18. In fact, many children’s credit is severely tampered with by that age as a majority of stolen social security numbers are used to obtain credit cards and loans.

For adults, identity theft often occurs while traveling since individuals rely on electronic devices that can be easily hacked. Travelers should be extra cautious with information while on the road due to unsecured wireless networks at airports and hotels. Recently, an identity theft and fraud expert had his information stolen while on vacation. Over $3,000 was charged to his credit card and he believes the number was stolen using a smartphone camera.

While identity theft may seem intimidating, there are many ways to protect yourself and your child. Check out some useful tips below:

• Avoid announcing children’s birth information on social networking sites, such as facebook
• Run credit reports on your child to ensure their identity has not been compromised
• Leave social security cards at home when you travel; losing this information can be crucial
• Don’t travel with every credit card you own and leave the others at home in a secure location
• Turn off your blue-tooth when you’re not using it; hackers can easily tap into this device and obtain sensitive data
• Be careful when typing secure information while using an unknown network; it’s always best to avoid entering credit card or social security numbers

Identity theft is an important issue to recognize as it can negatively affect you in many ways. We hope these tips will help you avoid theft in the future. It’s always best to take every precaution when traveling, using sensitive personal information, or dealing with issues regarding your child’s identity.