Identity thieves know no boundaries. They even go after one of the most vulnerable groups: children. “Children are not in any condition to protect themselves,” said Adam Levin, chairman and co-founder of Identity Theft 911, which provides identity-theft products and helps victims of the crime. “It’s up to their parents.”

Children are especially enticing targets for identity-theft crooks because it can take years before the crime is discovered. Statistics on child identity theft are hard to pin down.