Governor McKee Shares Information for Protecting Children’s Credit

PROVIDENCE, RI — Governor Dan McKee has outlined resources available to help parents and families who may be concerned about the security of their children’s credit in light of the recent RIBridges data breach.

“People need to act fast when it comes to protecting their personal information, and for some, that includes keeping an eye on their child’s credit,” said Governor Dan McKee. “Our State is committed to providing timely updates and resources so that Rhode Islanders and their families can take action to secure their credit and data

Step-by-step guidance is available through the three major credit reporting agencies:

• Are My Children at Risk Of Identity Theft? (Equifax)
• Requesting a Minor’s Credit Report, Fraud Alert or Security Freeze (Experian)
• Child Identity Theft (TransUnion)

Most minors will not yet have a credit file, as minors can only take out loans or credit cards if their parents or their guardians cosign. The state cybersecurity advisor suggests that concerned guardians apply for free credit monitoring for their children based on their children’s social security numbers. The monitoring feature will alert a parent or guardian if an attempt to access their child’s credit is made

For more details and updates regarding the data breach, please visit cyberalert.ri.gov.