Greg's Corner

Some child safety kits can put your family in danger

Child safety kits are probably the last thing any parent wants to buy but are invaluable if your child were to disappear. You can either purchase one or make one of your own. What you would need is a current picture of your child, a record of their current weight and height, their fingerprints, and a sample of their DNA like a few strands of their hair. You would then keep these items in a safe but easy to remember place in your home in case you have to give these items to investigators.

Leave it to scammers though to use the fear of losing your child to try to steal your identity. If you are ever solicited to get a kit by phone, email, or text, there’s a high probability that you’re being approached by a scammer. Police in Omaha, Nebraska are warning residents there about a current child safety kit scam where the scammers are asking for personal information like a Social Security number. Some scammers are even asking to meet the child in your home in an attempt to get you or your child into revealing sensitive information. According to the Omaha police, some of the scammers are claiming that they represent companies that will store the items and information for you. No legitimate child safety kit will ever ask you to do this as time is of the essence when a child goes missing.

As we have stated in a previous post, there is a huge market for the stolen identities of children. That’s because children have no credit histories and scammers can use them as blank slates. The identity thieves will slowly build up credit under your child’s name for years before finally building up enough credit to cash out on a big score like a loan or high balance credit card. Your children could then have a ruined credit score before they even get a chance to use it.

So if you receive an unsolicited offer for a child safety kit, politely decline the offer. If you don’t currently have a child safety kit, please thinking about making one for your children.