MIAMI, Fla. – If you think you are too young to be the target of identity theft, think again. All a thief needs is a few key numbers and your identity is compromised. It happened to Laura Burns. She was a freshman in college and had never had a job. But, her mother called saying she just received papers saying Lauren filed tax returns.
"She said the bad news is you are the victim of identity theft. I didn't even think that was possible for someone my age," said Lauren.
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This is a common misconception, but anyone with a Social Security number is vulnerable to identity theft, including young people and children.
"Apparently someone got a hold of her Social Security number and date of birth and name and applied for credit with her information and filed fraudulent credit returns with the information," said U.S. Postal Inspector Blanca Alvarez.
"It's scary knowing that someone out there is using your identity to get stuff to get money," added Lauren.
Inspectors say it is challenging to know how information is compromised which is why it's so important to check your credit once a year.
"High school seniors, college students, aren't aware of credit history. It's important for them even if they are not using credit at the time because one day, they may be applying for student loans, apply for a personal loan and they can find out their ID was stolen," warned Alvarez.
If you learn your identity has been stolen, Alvarez says it's important to notify authorities.
"The first thing they need to do file a report with the police. Then, notify the IRS," she said.
The third thing to do if your ID is stolen, call the credit agencies to report a breach. Lauren says she is now very protective of her personal information.
"Don't ever give them your social, if someone ask for it, ask if you can give the last four," she said.
When it comes to a credit check, every person is entitled to one free report a year, from each of the three credit bureaus: Experian, Equifax and Transunion. That's a total of three free reports a year. To check your credit report, the Better Business Bureau of Northeast Florida recommends the website AnnualCreditReport.com. It has step-by-step instructions and links to all three credit bureaus.