How to put a PIN on child's SSN for identity protection?
Need help figuring out how to protect my kids SSN. With all these data breaches lately I'm getting nervous about identity theft. Anyone know the process for putting a PIN on my children's social security numbers? Is this even possible?
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Khalid Howes
Yes, you can get an Identity Protection PIN (IP PIN) for your kids! Go to IRS.gov and search for 'Get An IP PIN.' You'll need to verify your identity through ID.me first. The PIN gets renewed every year and helps prevent anyone from filing fraudulent returns using their SSN. Its completely free and gives great peace of mind.
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Rita Jacobs
•thank u so much! do u know if I need separate pins for each kid?
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Khalid Howes
•Yep, each dependent needs their own unique PIN. Make sure to keep them somewhere safe - you'll need them when filing taxes
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Ben Cooper
Speaking of protecting identity, I've been using taxr.ai to monitor my transcript activity. It's only $1 and it alerts you to any suspicious changes on your transcript. Super helpful for catching identity theft early. https://taxr.ai
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Naila Gordon
•Does it work for dependents too? 🤔
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Ben Cooper
•Yes! You can add your kids transcripts too. It analyzes everything and sends alerts if anything weird pops up
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Naila Gordon
•just tried it out and wow! wish I knew about this sooner tbh 💯
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Cynthia Love
did this last year after someone tried using my daughters ssn. The verification process is kinda annoying but worth it fr
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Darren Brooks
make sure u write down the pins somewhere safe... learned that the hard way 🤡
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Rosie Harper
•fr fr... lost mine last year and had to jump thru so many hoops to get a new one
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Elliott luviBorBatman
PSA: If ur having trouble with ID.me verification, you can also make an appointment at ur local IRS office to get the PIN in person
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Rita Jacobs
•omg thank you! the online stuff is giving me a headache rn
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Demi Hall
anyone else notice how many scammers are targeting kids ssn's lately? its getting wild out here
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Mateusius Townsend
•literally just saw on the news that child identity theft went up 300% last year... scary times
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Keisha Robinson
Also worth mentioning - you should check your kids' credit reports annually too! You can request them for free from annualcreditreport.com. Kids shouldn't have any credit activity, so if something shows up, that's a red flag. The IP PIN is great but monitoring is key for catching things early.
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Yara Assad
•This is such good advice! I never even thought about checking my kids' credit reports. How often should we be doing this? Once a year enough or should it be more frequent given how crazy things are getting with identity theft?
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Layla Mendes
•@Yara Assad Once a year is usually sufficient for most families, but if you ve'been affected by any data breaches or notice suspicious activity, I d'recommend checking more frequently - maybe every 6 months. The key is setting up fraud alerts too. Also, keep records of when you check so you can track any changes over time!
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Dmitri Volkov
Another tip - consider freezing your kids' credit reports too! It's free and prevents anyone from opening new accounts in their name. You can do it online with all three bureaus (Experian, Equifax, TransUnion). Unlike the IP PIN which is just for tax stuff, a credit freeze blocks all new credit applications. You can always unfreeze it later when they're old enough to need credit legitimately.
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Nia Thompson
•This is exactly what I needed to hear! I had no idea you could freeze kids' credit reports. That sounds like even better protection than just the IP PIN alone. Do you know if there's an age limit for doing the credit freeze? My youngest is only 3 - is that too young to set this up?
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Zara Perez
•@Nia Thompson No age limit at all! I froze my 2-year-old s'credit last month after our pediatrician s'office got breached. The process is super straightforward - you just need their SSN and basic info. Each bureau gives you a PIN to unfreeze it later when they actually need credit like (for student loans, etc. .)Definitely worth doing alongside the IP PIN for maximum protection!
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Sofia Ramirez
Great thread everyone! Just want to add that when you get the IP PIN, make sure to save it in multiple secure places. I use a password manager and also keep a physical copy in our family safe. Also heads up - if you move or change your address, you'll need to update that info with the IRS before requesting a new PIN the following year. Learned that lesson when we relocated last spring and had issues getting our renewed PINs!
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Amara Eze
•Thanks Sofia! The password manager tip is clutch - I use 1Password for all this stuff. Quick question though - do you know if the IRS sends any kind of reminder when it's time to renew the PIN each year? Or do we just have to remember to do it ourselves? With everything going on it's easy to forget these annual tasks 😅
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Natasha Petrov
•@Amara Eze Unfortunately the IRS doesn t'send automatic reminders - you have to remember to renew it yourself each January. I set a recurring calendar reminder for mid-January every year so I don t'forget. Pro tip: if you have multiple kids with IP PINs, do them all at the same time so you re'not trying to remember different renewal dates throughout the year!
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Sarah Jones
One more thing to add - if you're dealing with multiple kids, consider setting up a spreadsheet to track all their IP PINs, credit freeze PINs, and renewal dates. I learned this after almost missing my middle kid's renewal last year! Also, don't forget that the IP PIN system usually opens in mid-January each year, so if you try too early in January you might get an error message. The IRS website can be a bit slow during peak times, so patience is key. Worth it though for the peace of mind!
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Olivia Martinez
•This spreadsheet idea is genius! I've been trying to keep track of everything in my head and it's been a disaster. Do you have any specific columns you recommend including? I'm thinking PIN numbers, renewal dates, credit bureau confirmation numbers... what else should I be tracking to stay organized with all this identity protection stuff?
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Evelyn Kim
•@Olivia Martinez Great question! In addition to what you mentioned, I d'suggest columns for: date each freeze was set up, which bureaus you ve'contacted since (you need to freeze with all 3 separately ,)backup contact info in case you need to call them, and maybe a notes section for any special circumstances or issues you encountered. Also include the kids birth' dates since some bureaus ask for that during the freeze process. Having it all in one place is a lifesaver!
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Santiago Diaz
Just want to echo what everyone's saying about the IP PIN - it's definitely worth doing! I set these up for both my kids after our school district had a data breach last year. The ID.me verification can be a pain, but once you get through it, the actual PIN request is pretty straightforward. One thing I'd add is to screenshot or print the confirmation page when you get your PINs - I almost lost mine when my browser crashed and had to go through the whole process again. Also, if you have teenagers who might be getting jobs soon, make sure they know about their PIN since they'll need it for any tax filings!
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Chloe Martin
•Great point about screenshotting the confirmation page! I learned that lesson the hard way too 😅 Also for parents with teenagers - make sure to explain to them WHY they have an IP PIN so they don't just think it's some random number. My 16-year-old almost threw away the paper I gave him because he didn't understand what it was for. Now I make sure to sit down with each kid when they turn 14-15 to explain identity theft, what their PIN is, and why it's important. Better to have that conversation early than deal with problems later!
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CosmicCrusader
For anyone still reading through this thread - just wanted to share that I went through this process last month for my twin 8-year-olds after our insurance company got hacked. The whole thing took about 45 minutes total once I got through the ID.me verification (that part was the longest). One tip I haven't seen mentioned - if you're doing this for multiple kids, you can stay logged into the IRS system and request PINs for each child in the same session, which saves time. Also, the system will ask if you want to receive the PIN by mail or view it online - I'd recommend viewing it online so you get it immediately, then write it down in multiple secure places like others have suggested. The peace of mind is definitely worth the hassle!
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Liam Fitzgerald
•Thanks for the detailed walkthrough! The twin tip is super helpful - I have three kids and was dreading doing this three separate times. Quick question though - when you view the PIN online, does the system give you any kind of printable confirmation or receipt? Or do you just have to manually write down what's displayed on screen? Want to make sure I don't miss anything important when I go through this process next week!
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Olivia Harris
•@Liam Fitzgerald When you view the PIN online, you get a confirmation page that shows the PIN and some basic info, but it s'not really designed to be printer-friendly. I d'recommend taking a screenshot of that page and also manually writing down the PIN immediately. The page does show your confirmation that the PIN was successfully generated, but there s'no formal receipt "per" se. Just make sure to have your pen and paper ready before you click to view the PIN, because once you navigate away from that page, you d'have to log back in to see it again. Good luck with your three kids - the batch processing really does save time!
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Zainab Ismail
This whole thread has been incredibly helpful! As someone who works in cybersecurity, I can't stress enough how important it is to protect kids' identities early. One additional resource I'd recommend is setting up fraud alerts with the credit bureaus in addition to the freezes - it's an extra layer that requires creditors to verify your identity before opening accounts. Also, for parents who are tech-savvy, consider using a dedicated email address just for these financial/identity protection services so you can easily track all the confirmation emails and annual renewal reminders in one place. The IP PIN is definitely the first step, but treating identity protection as an ongoing process rather than a one-time setup will serve your family well in the long run!
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Giovanni Rossi
•This is such valuable advice from someone in the field! The dedicated email tip is brilliant - I never thought about that but it makes total sense for staying organized. Quick question about the fraud alerts - do those need to be renewed periodically like the IP PIN, or are they more of a set-it-and-forget-it thing? Also, is there a recommended order for setting everything up (IP PIN, credit freezes, fraud alerts) or can you do them in any sequence? Thanks for sharing your expertise!
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