Child Identity Theft on Facebook
Parents who share children's names, birthdates, schools, and photos on Facebook inadvertently supply fraudsters with the personal data needed to open fraudulent accounts in minors' names — fraud that may go undetected for years.
Part of: Child Identity Theft
Last reviewed: 1 June 2026
Child identity theft is particularly insidious because the victim typically has no credit history to monitor and no financial accounts that trigger early fraud alerts. A minor's clean identity can be exploited for years before the child reaches adulthood and attempts to open their first bank account or apply for a loan.
Facebook's culture of sharing family milestones makes it a rich source of child identity data. A combination of a child's full name, date of birth, and home city — all commonly posted — is often sufficient to apply for government benefits or small loans in some jurisdictions.
How this scam works on Facebook
Scammers harvest children's personal details from Facebook posts where parents announce births, share birthday celebrations, post school photos, or discuss their children's activities. These details are aggregated over time to build a usable identity profile that includes full name, age, approximate address, school attended, and sometimes even the names of siblings.
The harvested data is used to apply for government assistance, tax returns, or small-value credit accounts where verification standards are lower. Because the child has no existing credit file, some checks are passed by default.
In other variants, strangers approach parents in parenting groups under the guise of community events or competitions, asking for the child's full name and date of birth 'for the certificate' — data that goes directly into a fraud pipeline.
Common red flags
- Friend requests from unfamiliar accounts that engage heavily with posts featuring your child
- Requests in parenting groups for children's full names and dates of birth for prizes or certificates
- Unexpected mail addressed to a minor at your address from financial or government institutions
- Government benefits notifications for a child that do not match your own applications
- Someone claiming to need your child's details for a school-related contest or community event
How to protect yourself
- Avoid posting children's full names, exact birthdates, or school names publicly on Facebook
- Set all posts featuring children to 'Friends only' and audit your friend list for unknown accounts
- Request a credit report in your child's name annually — any result indicates fraud, as minors should have no credit history
- Instruct children not to share their full name or birthday in online interactions
- Place a credit freeze in your child's name with the major credit reference agencies
- Report suspicious accounts that target posts featuring your children using Facebook's reporting tools
How to report it
- Report the suspicious account or page to Facebook using 'Find support or report profile'
- Report to your national identity theft authority and request a minor's credit freeze if fraud is confirmed
- Contact relevant government agencies if benefits or tax fraud has been committed in the child's name
Frequently asked questions
How do I check if my child's identity has been stolen?
Request a credit report in your child's name from the major credit reference agencies. If any report exists, this is a strong indicator of fraud since minors should have no credit history. Contact the agency immediately to dispute the records and place a fraud alert.