Back to School Identity Protection
Back to School Identity Protection
It’s that time of year when parents, in addition to culling through the endless back to school shopping lists, must take the time to fill out form after form for a myriad of reasons: school registration, sports sign-ups, daycare enrollment, and college dorm move-ins.
Are you exposing your child to fraud when you fill out these forms? In a way, yes! Believe it or not, kids are susceptible to identity fraud because they have tip-top credit profiles and social security numbers that are considered dormant.
While the information you provide about your child is necessary for these institutions for processing purposes, you absolutely have a right to ask how this information will be stored, shared, and how easily it will be accessed.
Social Security Numbers
Find out the reasons a SSN is required and see if you can avoid giving it. If you do have to provide it, ask how it will be stored and shared. Of course, always ask how it will be discarded. There are rules governing how and when to destroy this information, and asking a reliable company like Legal Shred can help you understand these compliance laws.
FERPA
FERPA (Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act), also known as the Buckley Amendment, was passed by Congress in 1974. It grants four specific rights to a post-secondary student:
• to see the records that the institution is keeping on the student.
• to seek amendment to those records and in certain cases append a statement to the record.
• to withhold the disclosure of a student’s educational records except for situations involving legitimate educational interest or as may be required by law.
• to file a complaint with the FERPA Office in Washington.
Consider ID Protection
ID protection services provide an extra layer of protection by scanning the Internet for personal information, including social security numbers and medical IDs, as well as credit reports for suspicious activity.
You as a parent have every right to ask how and when your child’s information is used, shared, and destroyed.
Companies like Legal Shred help institutions of all kinds maintain compliance and ensure identity protection for the businesses it serves. By eliminating certain data in a timely fashion, we offer protection from would-be wrong-doers. Our paper shredding service will securely eliminate confidential information in a pinch, so parents and administrators can focus on what matters: making the school year count.
Have a great school year!