National Child Identity Theft Awareness Day
September 1
About National Child Identity Theft Awareness Day
National Child Identity Theft Awareness Day takes place every year on 1 September. It is a campaign that draws attention to the growing problem of children having their personal information stolen and misused, and it gives parents, carers and educators practical guidance on how to protect young people from fraud. The day was created by the information services company Experian to mark the start of the new school year, a period when children’s personal details are shared more widely than usual.
What is National Child Identity Theft Awareness Day?
National Child Identity Theft Awareness Day is an annual observance dedicated to educating families about the risks of child identity theft and the steps they can take to prevent it. Child identity theft occurs when a criminal uses a minor’s personal information, such as their name, date of birth or Social Security number, to open accounts, take out loans, claim benefits or commit other forms of fraud. Because children rarely have any reason to check their credit, the crime can go undetected for years. The day is aimed at parents, guardians, teachers and anyone responsible for safeguarding a child’s personal data.
When is National Child Identity Theft Awareness Day?
National Child Identity Theft Awareness Day falls on Tuesday, 1 September 2026. It is observed on the same fixed date every year. The first of September was deliberately chosen because it coincides with the start of the new school semester in the United States, a time when families are asked to share children’s personal information on enrolment forms, sports registrations and medical paperwork, increasing the opportunities for that data to be exposed or misused.
Why National Child Identity Theft Awareness Day Matters
Children are remarkably attractive targets for fraudsters precisely because their records are a blank slate. A child’s credit file is clean, unused and unlikely to be monitored, which means stolen details can be exploited for a long time before anyone notices. Research by Javelin Strategy and Research found that child identity fraud costs United States families close to one billion dollars every year, with affected households losing an average of more than 1,100 dollars of their own money. Studies have also indicated that roughly one in 50 children is affected, and that a significant share of cases involve someone the family already knows. The consequences can follow a young person into adulthood, surfacing only when they first apply for a student loan, a mobile phone contract or a first job. Raising awareness now helps families catch problems early and put safeguards in place before damage is done.
How to Get Involved in National Child Identity Theft Awareness Day
There are many practical ways to mark the day and protect the children in your care:
- Check whether your child has a credit file – Most children should have no credit history at all, so the existence of a file can be an early warning sign of fraud. Contact the major credit bureaus to ask.
- Consider a credit freeze – Freezing a child’s credit prevents new accounts from being opened in their name and is one of the strongest protective steps a parent can take.
- Store documents securely – Keep birth certificates, Social Security cards and passports in a locked place, and only share these numbers when absolutely necessary.
- Question who needs the data – When a school, club or clinic asks for a child’s personal details, ask why it is needed, how it will be stored and whether an alternative identifier can be used instead.
- Talk to older children about online privacy – Teach teenagers not to overshare on social media and to recognise phishing messages that try to trick them into revealing personal information.
- Shred sensitive paperwork – Dispose of anything carrying a child’s identifying details by shredding rather than binning it.
- Share the message – Pass the day’s resources on to other parents, your child’s school or your wider community so more families know what to watch for.
History of National Child Identity Theft Awareness Day
National Child Identity Theft Awareness Day was established in 2018 by Experian, one of the world’s largest consumer credit reporting and information services companies. The company launched the campaign in response to mounting evidence that children were being targeted by identity criminals at alarming rates, and that many parents were simply unaware that the threat existed.
Experian chose 1 September because it sits at the threshold of the new academic year in the United States. The start of school brings a flurry of form-filling, with families handing over personal details to schools, after-school programmes, sports leagues and healthcare providers. By anchoring the awareness day to this moment, the campaign aimed to reach parents exactly when they most needed the reminder to be cautious with their children’s data.
In the years since, the observance has been embraced by consumer protection groups, financial institutions and organisations such as the Identity Theft Resource Center, which use the date to publish guidance, host webinars and encourage families to review their safeguards. What began as a single company’s initiative has grown into a recognised fixture in the consumer-protection calendar.
Noteworthy Facts About National Child Identity Theft Awareness Day
- The day was founded in 2018 by Experian and is observed annually on 1 September.
- Child identity fraud is estimated to cost United States families close to one billion dollars each year, according to Javelin Strategy and Research.
- Children are far more likely than adults to be targeted because their credit files are clean and unmonitored.
- A large proportion of child identity theft cases involve a perpetrator the family already knows.
- Because the crime often goes undetected for years, victims may not discover it until they apply for credit as young adults.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is National Child Identity Theft Awareness Day?
It is an annual awareness day, created by Experian, that highlights the risk of children’s personal information being stolen and used for fraud, and offers families practical advice on prevention.
When is National Child Identity Theft Awareness Day in 2026?
It takes place on Tuesday, 1 September 2026, and on 1 September every year.
Why are children targeted by identity thieves?
Children have clean, unused credit records that are rarely monitored, so stolen details can be exploited for years before anyone notices, making them especially valuable to fraudsters.
Spread the Word
Help raise awareness by sharing National Child Identity Theft Awareness Day with your friends, family and followers. Use the hashtags #ChildIdentityTheftAwarenessDay and #ChildIdentityTheft2026 on social media. The more parents who know about the risks, the fewer children will fall victim to fraud. If you care about protecting personal data, you might also explore National Dapper Your Data Day, which encourages everyone to tidy up and secure their digital footprint.
Related Awareness Days
- National Computer Security Day – A day focused on protecting computers and personal data from cyber threats, closely tied to safeguarding children’s information online.
- National Dapper Your Data Day – Encourages people to review and clean up the personal data they share, a habit that helps protect families from fraud.
- Artificial Intelligence Appreciation Day – Explores the technology increasingly used both to commit and to combat identity fraud.
Links
- Visit Experian, the founder of National Child Identity Theft Awareness Day
- Explore more awareness days at AwarenessDays.com
Featured image: Photo by Thomas Park on Unsplash.
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