All Iowans should be protected from identity theft, including children and dependent adults.
The Iowa Senate approved House File 2368 to help prevent identity theft of kids and other vulnerable Iowans, giving them the same protections as independent adults.
In 2008, the Legislature voted to allow Iowans to tell the three major credit reporting agencies to put a freeze on sharing their credit reports. A credit freeze prevents third parties from accessing your credit reports without your approval. Most businesses will not issue you a credit card or make a loan without first checking your credit history through a credit-reporting agency. So, when someone gets ahold of your name and Social Security Number and tries to open an account, a freeze on your credit reports prohibits your identify from being stolen.
Unfortunately, the credit reporting companies have not allowed parents or guardians to put a security freeze on their dependents’ credit reports. Consequently, children have become victims of identity theft when thieves obtain their names and Social Security Numbers.
House File 2368closes the loophole in the law and allows parents to tell the credit reporting agencies to place a security freeze on their children’s credit reports and allows guardians of vulnerable individuals to do the same.