Freeze the child's credit and report the theft

A child's credit can be frozen until they turn 18 — and should be.

JDCS

By Jordan Dickson · Reviewed by CSG Security Engineers

Updated June 2026 · 1 min read

Freezing is the strongest move — and unlike adults, you don't need to thaw it for credit applications, because the child won't be applying for years.

Keep records for them

Save every letter, dispute and report under the child's name. They'll need this when they turn 18 if anything resurfaces.

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Founder, CyberSecurityGuides

Founder of CyberSecurityGuides, writing practical, jargon-free guides that help everyday people recover from and protect against online attacks.

Reviewed by CSG Security Engineers