Fact Sheet 120 A
TO ORDER A CREDIT REPORT FOR A CHILD

If you suspect there is a child identity theft case in progress, and you are the child’s parent or court-appointed guardian, you may write the three Credit Reporting Agencies to see if there are credit reports in that child’s Social Security Number. The best news would be an answer of “there is no report.”

When you write the agencies, place the following items in your cover letter:

• Child’s full name
• Child’s Social Security Number
• Your name
• Your address
• Your relationship to the child or children in question
• That you wish a search for a credit report in the child’s Social Security Number. Remember- the imposter may be using a different name and most definitely a different birth date.
• A FRAUD ALERT can be placed on a report if one exists
• A copy of the credit report, if one exists, be mailed to you immediately

Please note, all correspondence must be sent certified, return receipt mail. This is the only way you can prove that you sent the information. You should also include any documentation showing that you have legal custody of the child if you are divorced or have legal guardianship of the child.

Many parents are complaining that they cannot get a response from the CRAs. If you do not hear from any of the below companies 30 days after getting your return receipt postcard, please file a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission – 1-877-FTC-HELP (382-4357).

Do not order a report on a child unless you have a reason to do so, especially on a yearly basis. If you have no reason to suspect child identity theft, you will only cause problems in creating a report because of your multiple inquiries. This actually opens a door for a thief because a child should not have a credit report. When credit issuers see there is a report, they are more likely to believe the imposter is truly a consumer.

TransUnion:
Write to:
TransUnion
PO Box 6790
Fullerton, CA 92834.

They ask parents to include:

• A copy of the child’s birth certificate listing the parent as a parent
• A copy of the child's Social Security card
• Your cover letter should include the full name of the child, the child’s date of birth and previous addresses for the last five years
• A copy of the parent’s own ID card, such as driver’s license or state/military issued photo id card.
• If the requestor is a guardian, but not a parent, he / she should state that and additionally include any documentation that would legally appoint them as the guardian.

In response TransUnion will mail out a copy of the credit report, if one exists, or a letter stating they have no file. TransUnion does not recommend that parents starting doing this just to check and see.They should have some reason to believe that the child's identity may have been used.That belief can also be included in the request.

In addition, TransUnion has set up a special email address for parents and guardians to use: childidtheft@transunion.com . TransUnion will give you a yes/no answer to the question of: does a credit file exist in the following name and/or Social Security Number.

If the answer is yes, the parent would then want to follow through with the above instructions.

If the answer is no, the parent should then consider the relative risk. If the minor's identity was part of some large data breach with minimal likelihood that id will ever be used (ie VA data breach), then TransUnion suggests not pursuing any further and just stay more diligent to suspicious activity. In other words, do not order a credit report at this time.

If the minor's identity was compromised as part of a more limited or targeted incident and or they suspect something involving friends / relatives, please go use the above instructions for ordering the complete report.

Experian:
Write to:
Experian
PO Box 9532
Allen, TX 75013.

We ask parents to include the following in their letter-

• A copy of the parent’s Driver’s License
• Proof of their address (ie. utility bill, credit card statement, insurance statement, etc.)
• A copy of their child's birth certificate
• A copy of their child's Social Security card
• Their child's full name
• Their child's date of birth
• Previous addresses for the last five years, if appropriate

Upon receipt of the things listed above, they’ll search their system and send a response back to the parent. As discussed previously, the vast majority of all requests result in a response stating that no record of their child's information was found in the database.

Equifax:

Equifax asks that the parent(s) or legal guardian(s) sends their request to:
Equifax Information Services LLC
Office of Consumer Affairs
P.O. Box 105139
Atlanta, GA 30348

Please include the following in your request-

• A copy of the child's birth certificate
• A copy of the child's Social Security card
• The child’s address
• The child's full name
• The child's date of birth

Upon receipt of the documents listed above, Equifax will attempt to locate a file for the minor child and place an alert on the child’s Social Security number. Once Equifax’s research is complete, they will send a response back to the parent(s) or legal guardian(s).

Letter Form 120  Request a Child's Credit Report

Copyright February 2007, Identity Theft Resource Center®, all rights reserved.
Created by ITRC. SOURCES: Equifax; Experian; TransUnion