(WTXL) Tallahasse, FLA A new law has gone into effect this month that is meant to keep people from stealing the identities of children.
The Keeping ID Safe (KIDS) act would allow parents or legal guardians to open a file in their child's name with a major consumer credit bureau and then immediately freeze the account.
The account can later be unfrozen when the child reaches an age where they need credit.
The law was backed by Agricultural Commissioner Adam Putnam during the 2014 legislative session. He says that children are especially vulnerable to credit theft.
"With a child, if you steal a five-year-old's sensitive information, and use that to create and open up lines of credit, you might be able to milk that for years before it is discovered."
According to Putnam, more than 50,000 children in Florida become victims of identity theft annually, costing them more than 100 million dollars.
The fee to freeze a child's credit is ten dollars, unless the kid has already been a victim of identity theft. Then, the fee is waived. To request a credit freeze, visit www.FreshFromFlorida.com/ProtectYourChild.
