Lions, Tigers and Personal Identity Protection, Oh My!
Online information on our teens? and Us? Scary. Hackers, lurkers, information sells and more really exist. But so often we overlook the small things that WE can do to reduce this concern.
Let's kick up protection up a notch.
Here are 3 ways you can up your protection game for your teen - and YOU.
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Social Security Numbers are gold.
Sadly, the “bad guys” know that too. It’s time to check your child’s social security number for earnings. Someone might have used it to seek employment – and that someone might not be your “nearly-grown” child.
Register it for notification. There’s a link in the above article as well for how to report fraud if you find it. Here’s hoping you go on this “hunting” trip and find NOTHING unexpected.
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But what about we parents?
What, “Moi” you might be thinking? Yes, it is time to check your own social media accounts. What do they tell the world?
- Don’t post their age or birthday on social media accounts. This helps “the bad guys” gather information that gives credibility to their fraudulent use.
My bad? My kids set up my FaceBook, (as they say “back in the stone age”) and put all sorts of information on it, including their name. Naturally, you could then go to their FaceBook name/account and get their birthday.
And there you have it. A name, a birthday and a parent link. That information can put valuable information in the hands of the “bad guys”. Couple it with a few slick moves, and ta-da, Darth Vader could have your child’s (or your) personal information. So, go check your FaceBook (and elsewhere) information – stat!
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Buy a cross-cut shredder.
Teach them to use it on anything you are ready to throw away that has personal or financial information on it – up to and including address labels on the magazines you subscribe to. Sadly, Dumpster Divers do exist.
Every way, both big and small, that we can protect our kids and teach them how to protect themselves, gives one less pit they might have fallen into.
What else do I cover?
There ARE important things you need to teach your teens in this last season with them. What are they and how can you start? This tool can be a HUGE help: 8 Last Concrete Teaching Moves Parents Should Make
Have a GREAT rest of your week.
Pam and the JellyGeneration Team
Pam Hardison, MBA, BBA in Finance and Business Education, has created and co-owned a national mail order catalog which at one point was the 21st fastest growing customerbase in the nation. As a mom of two college-post college daughters, considers it a privilege and to meet other students and parents along the same road. After teaching high school and college students for years, her commitment to helping them with topics most schools can't cover is the light that drives her.
Holly Powers, Attorney-At-Law (Jameson & Powers, P.C.) has been actively practicing law since 1985 and is a shareholder with the law firm of Jameson & Powers, P.C. The firm specializes in transactional law, health care law, and general business law. Holly has taught students precepts concerning the legal world for over 10 years. With 4 children, she understands what teens need to know and has a passion to help others faced with teens and aging parents.
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