National Child Identity Theft Awareness Day is observed every September 1 in the United States to raise awareness about the theft and misuse of children’s personal information. Created by Experian in 2018, the observance encourages parents and guardians to protect children’s identities and watch for signs of fraud.
National Child Identity Theft Awareness Day is an annual U.S. awareness observance held on September 1. It focuses attention on child identity theft—the unauthorized use of a minor’s personal information for fraudulent purposes—and encourages families to take practical steps to protect information such as Social Security numbers and other identifying data. Experian created the observance in 2018 as a nationwide awareness initiative.
Children can be particularly difficult identity-theft victims to identify quickly because they generally have little reason to use or monitor credit. The Federal Trade Commission says that a child under 18 generally should not have a credit report and identifies unexpected bills, government-benefit problems, IRS notices and student-loan problems as possible warning signs that a child’s information is being misused.
The observance is primarily aimed at parents, guardians, educators and organizations that handle children’s personal information. Consumer-protection agencies have also used September 1 to promote online privacy and identity-safety guidance. It is an awareness campaign rather than a U.S. federal public holiday.
Origins, development, and the events that shaped this observance.
The immediate background to National Child Identity Theft Awareness Day can be traced to growing concern about identity fraud involving minors. On April 24, 2018, Javelin Strategy & Research released its 2018 Child Identity Fraud Study. The study estimated that more than one million U.S. children had been affected by identity fraud during 2017, with $2.6 billion in total fraud losses and more than $540 million in family out-of-pocket costs. These are 2017 study findings, not current 2026 prevalence figures.
On August 27, 2018, Experian publicly announced that it was designating September 1 as Child Identity Theft Awareness Day to generate nationwide attention around the issue. Experian said it wanted the date to become an annual reminder for parents to remain vigilant about protecting their children’s information. The company also promoted a Child ID Scan and sponsored extended Identity Theft Resource Center assistance on September 1 as part of the launch campaign.
The National Day Archives registration for the observance identifies Experian as the founder in 2018. It states that September 1 was selected because parents are typically in a back-to-school mindset, making it a timely point to add protection of children’s personal information to the preparations families make for a new school year.
Based on Experian’s August 2018 launch announcement and its invitation to participate on September 1 that year, September 1, 2018 is the first reliably documented observance. This is supported by the contemporaneous Identity Theft Resource Center article published on August 27, 2018, which also described Experian’s designation of September 1.
The issue received an additional consumer-protection development shortly afterward. Beginning September 21, 2018, U.S. federal protections made free credit freezes available for children under 16 nationwide. Current FTC guidance continues to advise parents and guardians that a child under 16 can receive a free credit freeze, while 16- and 17-year-olds may request and remove their own freezes.
The Identity Theft Resource Center continued recognizing September 1 in 2019, and government consumer-protection organizations have since used the observance to publish safety information. New Jersey’s Division of Consumer Affairs recognized the day in 2023, and Erie County, New York, included it in its consumer-protection calendar in 2024.
The observance remains relevant as children use more connected platforms and schools rely heavily on digital systems. In 2025, the Identity Theft Resource Center and Javelin Strategy & Research again discussed child identity theft during the back-to-school period, including risks associated with children's personally identifiable information, school data and synthetic identity fraud.
National Child Identity Theft Awareness Day is not one of the federal public holidays established under U.S. law. Its “national” designation refers to the nationwide awareness campaign, not a federal holiday or mandated day off.
Practical ways to observe the day thoughtfully and meaningfully.
National Child Identity Theft Awareness Day is best observed through practical steps that reduce the likelihood of a child’s personal information being misused.
Contact the three major credit bureaus and ask how to determine whether your child has a credit report. The FTC notes that a child under 18 generally should not have one, so an unexpected file deserves investigation.
For a U.S. child under 16, a parent or authorized guardian can request a free security freeze from Equifax, Experian and TransUnion. The freeze can make it harder for someone to open new credit accounts using the child’s identity.
Look at school, healthcare, activity and other records that request sensitive identifying information. Ask why the information is required and keep unnecessary copies of sensitive documents out of wallets, backpacks and easily accessible locations.
Talk with children about protecting personal details, recognizing suspicious messages and being cautious about information shared through social media, games and online services. Government consumer-protection agencies have specifically connected the observance with children's online privacy.
Watch for debt-collection notices, unexpected bills, government-benefit problems, IRS correspondence or credit problems connected to a child. The FTC identifies these as signals that someone may be using a child's personal information.
Save the official FTC recovery resource, IdentityTheft.gov. If a child’s identity has been misused, the FTC recommends contacting affected businesses and credit bureaus, correcting fraudulent records, freezing the child’s credit when appropriate and reporting the theft.
Memorable details and useful context connected with National Child Identity Theft Awareness Day.
These facts help explain both the observance and the consumer-protection issue behind it.
Experian founded the observance in 2018 and designated September 1 as the annual date.
The National Day Archives registration says Experian chose September 1 because families are already focused on children and school-year preparations at that time.
Javelin's 2018 research estimated that more than one million U.S. children experienced identity fraud in 2017, with $2.6 billion in total losses. This is a historical study figure, not a current annual estimate.
Javelin's 2018 study found that 60% of child identity-fraud victims knew the perpetrator, compared with 7% among adult fraud victims in the study.
The same Javelin study reported that approximately two-thirds of its child identity-fraud victims were under eight years old.
The FTC says parents or guardians can request a free credit freeze for children under 16, making fraudulent new credit accounts harder to open.
According to the FTC, a child under 18 generally will not have a credit report. Discovering one unexpectedly can therefore be an important reason to investigate further.
Important moments that shaped the day and its place in the calendar.
Experian announced that it was designating September 1 as Child Identity Theft Awareness Day and said it hoped the observance would become an annual nationwide reminder for parents.
Experian’s launch campaign invited consumers to participate on September 1 and included extended assistance from the Identity Theft Resource Center. This provides the strongest contemporary evidence for the first observance taking place in 2018.
Federal protections took effect allowing free credit freezes for children under 16 across the United States, strengthening an important tool for preventing fraudulent new accounts.
The Identity Theft Resource Center published guidance ahead of the September 1 observance, highlighting warning signs and steps parents could take to protect children's personally identifiable information.
New Jersey's Division of Consumer Affairs used National Child Identity Theft Awareness Day to encourage families to make children's data safety and online privacy a priority.
Erie County, New York, marked the observance in its consumer-protection calendar and directed families toward child identity-theft and online-safety resources.
The Identity Theft Resource Center and Javelin Strategy & Research discussed current child identity-theft risks during the back-to-school season, including school data, social platforms and synthetic identity fraud.
Helpful answers about the date, meaning, and observance.
It is observed every year on September 1. Experian designated the date when it created the awareness campaign in 2018.
It is a U.S. awareness observance focused on protecting minors from identity theft and fraud. It encourages parents and guardians to safeguard children's personal information and recognize possible misuse.
The day is observed to increase awareness of the risk that children's personal information can be stolen or misused. Experian established the campaign as an annual reminder for families to protect children's identities.
Experian created the observance. Contemporary Experian material and the National Day Archives registration identify the company as its founder.
The observance began in 2018. Experian announced the designation on August 27, 2018, ahead of the first documented September 1 campaign.
September 1 was chosen to connect identity protection with the back-to-school period. The National Day Archives registration says Experian wanted parents to add protection of their children's personal information to their school-year preparations.
It originated in the United States as a nationwide awareness initiative from Experian. U.S. consumer-protection organizations and government agencies have subsequently promoted the observance.
No. It is not a U.S. federal public holiday. It is an awareness observance, and it does not appear among the federal holidays established under U.S. law.
Parents can participate by reviewing how their child's information is stored, checking for suspicious credit activity, teaching online privacy and considering a child credit freeze. The FTC provides detailed prevention and recovery guidance.
Unexpected financial or government correspondence can be a warning sign. The FTC specifically lists overdue bills, denial of benefits, IRS notices and student-loan problems among situations that should be investigated.
Yes. In the United States, an authorized parent or guardian can request a free credit freeze for a child under 16. Minors who are 16 or 17 may request and remove their own security freeze.
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Read the storyInstead of circulating alarming statistics or unsourced social posts, share current FTC, IdentityTheft.gov or Identity Theft Resource Center resources with families, schools or community groups.
Report the fraudulent accounts, contact the credit bureaus and report the identity theft through the FTC's IdentityTheft.gov service. The FTC also recommends freezing the child's credit when applicable.
It is best classified as a United States observance. Experian launched it as a nationwide U.S. initiative, and many of its core protective actions—such as Social Security number protection and U.S. credit freezes—are specifically tied to the American consumer-credit system.
