At Risk for Identity Theft

Qwest Communications held a summit last year that focused on protecting teens from identity theft.

"Many teenagers discover they are a victim of identity theft when they first apply for a driver's license and find that one has already been issued to someone else under the same Social Security number," according to the report that came out of the summit.

The summit also compiled a list of tips.

FOR TEENS

Don't be intimidated: Tell adults who ask for your Social Security number, driver's license or credit card numbers that you want to know how they'll use them and how they'll protect them from being stolen.

Guard your personal information: Protect your passwords on your computers, wireless phones, pagers and other devices, and don't store personal identification information there. Shred all documents containing personal information.

Don't use your mother's maiden name as a password: "A thief who discovers your mother's maiden name can also locate and obtain your original birth certificate," says Judith Collins, an identity theft expert. "With an original birth certificate, perpetrators can orchestrate a complete takeover of your identity."

Check yourself out: When you turn 16, check bank and credit card statements regularly for irregularities and check your credit report at least once a year.

FOR PARENTS

Monitor your child's credit: Always check your teen's bank and credit card statements for irregularities.

Protect personal identification information: Make sure your teenager doesn't keep his or her Social Security card and other valuable personal information in his or her wallet, purse, backpack or car.

Encourage password protection: Help your teenagers create passwords that are hard to steal — a combination of numbers and letters only they will remember.

— Pamela Yip