SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR DETECTING CHILD IDENTITY THEFT

• US 20090126013A1
• Filed: 11/13/2008
• Published: 05/14/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 11/13/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Equifax, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Equifax, Inc.
• Inventors: Atwood, Christopher Colin Puckett, Elliott-Sinnock, Jan
• Granted Patent: US 8,225,395 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 726/22
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2111 Location-sensitive, e.g. geographical location, GPS
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/02 Banking, e.g. interest calculation or account maintenance credit or loans G06Q40/03

Abstract

Embodiments of the present invention provide systems and methods for detecting an indication of a suspicious event associated with personal information of a child. Personal information representing a social security number of the child and a name of the child is received. Parent personal information representing contact information for a parent of the child is received. A child file for the child is created and stored on a computer-readable medium. The child file for the child includes the personal information representing the social security number of the child and the name of the child. The child file for the child is locked by associating an electronic notice to the child file for the child to prevent access to a database using at least part of the personal information of the child. The database includes credit data. The child file and the credit data is monitored for the indication of the suspicious event using the personal information representing the social security number of the child. A notification is transmitted to the parent using the parent personal information representing contact information for the parent. The notification is transmitted after detecting the indication of the suspicious event. The notification includes information associated with the indication of the suspicious event.

Claims

1. A method for detecting an indication of a suspicious event associated with personal information of a child, comprising:

receiving personal information representing a social security number of the child and a name of the child;

receiving parent personal information representing contact information for a parent of the child;

creating a child file for the child and storing the child file on a computer-readable medium, the child file for the child comprising the personal information representing the social security number of the child and the name of the child;

locking the child file for the child by associating an electronic notice to the child file for the child to prevent access to a database using at least part of the personal information of the child, the database comprising credit data;

monitoring the child file and the credit data for the indication of the suspicious event using the personal information representing the social security number of the child; and

transmitting a notification to the parent using the parent personal information representing contact information for the parent, the notification being transmitted after detecting the indication of the suspicious event, the notification comprising information associated with the indication of the suspicious event.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein monitoring the child file and data stored in the database for the indication of the suspicious event using the personal information representing the social security number of the child comprises:

monitoring for inquires comprising at least part of the personal information in the child file; and

monitoring the credit data stored in the database, the credit data comprising a plurality of credit files.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the indication of the suspicious event comprises at least one of:

an indication of an inquiry comprising at least part of the personal information in the child file;

or

an indication of the social security number of the child associated with at least one of the plurality of credit files.

4. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

searching the plurality of credit files using the personal information representing the social security number of the child;

detecting a credit file for the child exists; and

wherein the notification comprises an indication that the credit file for the child exists.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

unlocking the child file for the child when the child reaches a pre-set age by removing the electronic notice.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

authenticating an identity of the parent using the parent personal information; and

authenticating a relationship of the parent with the child using the parent personal information.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein authenticating the relationship of the parent with the child comprises:

accessing record data comprising at least one of;

data representing tax-related information of the parent;

data representing a birth certificate of the child;

or

data representing Social Security Administration information associated with the child and the parent; and

comparing the record data to the parent personal information and the personal information representing the social security number of the child and the name of the child to confirm the relationship of the parent with the child.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving personal information representing a home address for the child;

monitoring a criminal data stored in the database for the indication of the suspicious event, the criminal data representing physical addresses of a plurality of criminals; and

wherein the indication of the suspicious event comprises the criminal data indicating at least one of the plurality of criminals is associated with a physical address within a pre-set radius of the home address for the child.

9. A system for detecting an indication of a suspicious event associated with personal information of a child, the system comprising:

a processor-based device comprising a protection engine stored on a computer-readable medium, the processor-based device being in electronic communication with a database, the protection engine being configured to;

receive personal information representing a social security number of the child and a name of the child;

receive parent personal information representing contact information for a parent of the child;

create and store a child file for the child, the child file for the child comprising the personal information representing the social security number of the child and the name of the child;

cause the child file for the child to be locked by causing an electronic notice to be associated with the child file for the child to prevent access to credit data stored in a database using at least part of the personal information of the child;

monitor the child file and the credit data stored in the database for the indication of the suspicious event using the personal information representing the social security number of the child; and

transmit a notification to the parent using the parent personal information representing contact information for the parent, the protection engine being configured to transmit the notification after detecting the indication of the suspicious event, the notification comprising information associated with the indication of the suspicious event.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the protection engine is configured to transmit the notification to the parent using the parent personal information representing contact information for the parent by transmitting an email message to an email address included in the parent personal information representing contact information for the parent.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the email message comprises an address representing a location of a website on a network, the protection engine being configured to provide a webpage for the website, the webpage comprising the indication of the suspicious event.

12. The system of claim 9, wherein the credit data comprises a plurality of credit files;

and

wherein the indication of the suspicious event comprises at least one of;

an indication of an inquiry comprising at least part of the personal information in the child file;

or

an indication of the social security number of the child associated with at least one of the plurality of credit files.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the protection engine is configured to:

cause a search of the plurality of credit files to be performed using the personal information representing the social security number of the child;

detect the credit file for the child exists; and

wherein the notification comprises an indication that the credit file for the child exists.

14. The system of claim 9, wherein the protection engine is configured to unlock the child file for the child when the child reaches a pre-set age by removing the electronic notice.

15. The system of claim 9, wherein the parent personal information represents a social security number of the parent, the protection engine being configured to:

authenticate an identity of the parent using the parent personal information; and

authenticate a relationship of the parent with the child using the parent personal information.

16. A computer-readable medium on which program code is stored, the program code comprising:

program code for receiving personal information representing a social security number of a child, a name of the child, and a home address of the child;

program code for receiving parent personal information representing contact information for a parent of the child;

program code for creating a child file for the child the child file for the child comprising the personal information representing the social security number of the child and the name of the child;

program code for locking the child file for the child by associating an electronic notice to the child file for the child to prevent access to credit data stored in at least one database using at least part of the personal information of the child;

program code for monitoring the child file and data stored in the at least one database for an indication of a suspicious event using the personal information, the database comprising criminal data representing physical addresses of a plurality of criminals and the credit data comprising a plurality of credit files, the suspicious event comprising at least one of;

the criminal data indicating at least one of the plurality of criminals is associated with a physical address within a pre-set radius of the home address for the child;

an indication of an inquiry comprising at least part of the personal information of the child;

or

an indication of the social security number of the child associated with at least one of the plurality of credit files; and

program code for transmitting a notification to the parent using the parent personal information representing contact information for the parent, the notification being transmitted after detecting the indication of the suspicious event, the notification comprising information associated with the indication of the suspicious event.

17. The computer-readable medium of claim 16, wherein the program code for transmitting the notification to the parent using the parent personal information representing contact information for the parent comprises program code for transmitting an email message to an email address included in the parent personal information representing contact information for the parent.

18. The computer-readable medium of claim 17, wherein the email message comprises an address representing a location of a website on a network, further comprising:

program code for providing a webpage for the website, the webpage comprising the indication of the suspicious event.

19. The computer-readable medium of claim 16, further comprising:

program code for causing a search of the plurality of credit files to be performed using the personal information representing the social security number of the child;

program code for detecting the credit file for the child exists; and

wherein the notification comprises an indication that the credit file for the child exists.

20. The computer-readable medium of claim 16, further comprising program code for unlocking the child file for the child when the child reaches a pre-set age by removing the electronic notice.