Main culprits in kids' ID theft? Family members

[DevilDog#1]

Relatives prey on children, tarnishing their credit histories

By Janet Shamlian
Correspondent
NBC News
Updated: 10:44 a.m. ET Feb. 28, 2005

DALLAS - Shiloh Puckett is 10 years old, but this Dallas-area 4th grader already has quite a history. A credit history, that is. Shiloh has had 17 credit cards, racked up thousands of dollars on her American Express bill and been approved for a $42,000 loan.

She is deep in debt and has been since she was just five. How does a child like Puckett get those credit cards and spend all that money?

Her record is deceiving, because she is not a young criminal.

Puckett’s Social Security number was stolen several years ago. She is a young victim of identity theft, one of an estimated half a million children who joined her ranks last year, according to the Federal Trade Commission.

It is a crime, much like adult identity theft, which is spiraling out of control.

Theft from within the family
In Shiloh’s case, police collected hundred of pieces of evidence including credit cards, unpaid bills and loan applications. Prosecutors filed charges and the thief was sent to jail for six months. The culprit was Shiloh’s own mother, Cindy Puckett.

“I did it because I had to, as a means of necessity,” said Cindy Puckett. “I feel bad I did it, and I shouldn’t have done it. At the time, I didn’t really think it was wrong in the sense I was hurting my child.”

While Cindy Puckett served half a year in a Dallas jail, her daughter Shiloh was sent to live with a relative. They are reunited now, but the young girl’s credit is still blemished.

“I hope it sends a message to other parents,” said Cindy Puckett. “Don’t do that, it’s not worth it. Find other means.”

Shiloh Puckett’s case may seem unusual because of her mother’s involvement, but it’s not. An advocacy group called the Identity Theft Resource Center identifies relatives as being involved in more than half of the child identity theft cases reported in the United States last year.

“I don’t understand how a parent can do this to a child,” said Linda Foley, the center’s executive director. “This is an infant you hold in your arms when they are born and say I will protect you with my life. To go and sacrifice that life for their own selfish needs… it’s unexplainable to me.”

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[Hellfighter]

when they are hurting for cash/credit they do it for help mainly i don't think they did it and never plain to pay it, but if there no money coming in then it hits hard and they get into trouble with the law, they should not do it but then the credit check they do make it even harder on them who have bad credit back ground, Hard time thats all. i can't blame for for doing it but i don't agreed ether. pay the bills if you going to do it if you have the money other wise stay away from it.

it not right to do but i not in their shoes ether. sad saying about the mother who did it.

[DevilDog#1]

Chief, the basic message of the article was ID theft is a crime! Doing it to your own kid doesn't make it "ok". It's still a crime.