Although most of us think of the typical scam victim as an older person, according to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), in 2024 alone, 21,420 reports of identity theft involved victims aged 19 and under (1).
Software company Norton reports that for parents who are desperate enough to commit fraud, children can be the perfect targets: they have no credit history and easily accessible Social Security numbers (2). Many such victims don’t even realize they’ve been scammed until years later, when they attempt to open their own accounts and credit cards.
This happened to Dmitri. The 25-year-old recently discovered that his father has been taking out loans in his name since he was 18. At that time, his father explained that he was opening up a credit card for him to help build a credit history. However, Dmitri recently pulled his credit report after being denied an application for a credit card, and discovered that all through his college years, his father had been using his name, Social Security number and identity to secure a number of loans. Dmitri even started to receive calls from collection agencies.
Dmitri’s credit score is now at a dire level in the low 400s, and his father has continued to lie about the extent of the damage he has done — even though Dmitri can see clearly from his credit report how many accounts he opened and which are in default.
Dmitri has started the process of notifying his bank and freezing his accounts, but he’s not sure what else to do. It seems harsh to press charges against his own father, even though he has committed a crime. Can he recover his good credit standing without legal action?
Here’s what we advise for Dmitri, or anyone of any age who learns that a relative has used their personal information to commit fraud.
Identity theft by a parent is much more personal — and hurtful — than being scammed by a stranger. And it’s sadly common. Each year, one in 50 children in the U.S. is said to fall victim to identity theft (3) and more than two-thirds of these victims know the person who stole their identity (4).
In addition to the violation, Dmitri says he feels stupid for not catching onto his father’s deception sooner and is scared about starting his adult life on such shaky financial ground. He’s also coping with the knowledge that his father isn’t the successful businessman he pretended to be, but a scam artist who lied to many other people besides himself.
While Dmitri may be well advised to seek counselling during this time, there’s also a long list of practical steps he must take in order to set his financial affairs straight.
The first step after notifying his bank and placing a fraud alert with the major credit bureaus is to file a report with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC). You can do this online at IdentityTheft.gov or call 1-877-FTC-HELP (5). Dmitri should also change his Social Security Number, which he can do by making an appointment at his local office (6). This will prevent his father from being able to open new accounts with his information.
Dmitri should also contact each lender who loaned his father money and inform them of the fraud. While Dmitri does not want to press charges, he may need to file a police report to help him close all the accounts that were opened in his name and correct his credit report. Banks and other lenders often require a case number from a police report and a copy of your FTC Identity Theft Report to categorize a transaction as fraud.
After alerting all the necessary parties, Dmitri should consider meeting with an attorney who specializes in identity theft cases to help him navigate the complex process of recovering his identity from his father. The attorney and the police may also be able to help Dmitri file a report with the Consumer Sentinel Network, which gives law enforcement agencies access to reports submitted directly to the FTC by consumers.
Dmitri should also consult with his attorney and a Social Security representative about whether it’s necessary to replace government-issued IDs.
He’ll also need to think about contacting the police and collection agencies. In some cases, victims of identity theft can unknowingly have warrants out for their arrest, so contacting the police is an important step to ensure they are not accused of any crimes committed by somebody else. Meanwhile, if collection agencies are not yet aware of the identity theft, they will need to be informed with proof so that they can leave Dimitri alone.
Finally, Dmitri should stay vigilant, checking his credit report regularly and considering an extended fraud alert and/or credit freeze so that his father won’t be able to use his identity in any way going forward.
If he has any relatives who may also have fallen victim to his father, Dmitri should inform them of the situation and encourage them to check their own credit reports, including those of any children (7).
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While it may seem harsh, it’s important for Dmitri to involve law enforcement in his quest to recover his identity, as they can help clearly establish to banks and other agencies that he is the victim of a crime and not to be held liable for his father’s actions.
The longer it takes Dmitri to clear his credit standing and name, the tougher the consequences may be. For example, he may lose out on jobs as companies can access a credit report and issue a criminal background check in the hiring process. He may also be unable to open his own credit cards or other loans, and may even be blocked from a mortgage when he is ready to buy his own home (8).
Even if he manages to repair the relationship with his dad in the future, for his safety Dmitri should ensure that his father never has access to his personal information, or that of his friends or loved ones, ever again. This may include locking up his wallet, bank statements and other important paperwork in a home safe — especially when his father comes to visit. . He should also be using good cybersecurity practices, including choosing good passwords and security questions his dad wouldn’t be able to guess the answers to.
Dmitri will need to think carefully about other pathways his father might be able to use to get access to his personal information. He might need to have his mail delivered to a new P.O. box instead of his home if his father lives nearby and may be able to access his mail. He should warn other family members and mutual friends about what is going on, to make sure they don’t let essential information slip, And he should also change all his passwords and may even consider shutting down his current email accounts if his father has used them to access financial information.
Recovering from a huge financial blow at such a young age is a massive undertaking, but with the right support, Dmitri will find himself on firm financial footing again (9).
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FTC (1); Norton (2); LSEG Risk Intelligence (3); Javelin Strategy (4); FTC (5); SSA (6); FTC (7); CNBC (8); U.S. General Services Administration (9)
This article provides information only and should not be construed as advice. It is provided without warranty of any kind.
