Your child could be at risk, and Florida lawmakers are now acting to protect them.

Lawmakers have introduced legislation in the Florida House and Senate that would allow parents to create a credit profile for their children and then freeze it.

“The incidence of child identity theft seems to be growing exponentially as the word has spread pretty quickly among that this is the best path,” says WOKV Consumer Warrior Clark Howard.

Right now, children are more susceptible to identity theft than many adults.

“An adult has an identity you have to modify, a child has an identity that you get to create,” Howard says.

He says a patient criminal can take the time to build a credit profile once they obtain certain information about your child. Once that credit is built, they can go on a spree.

“They buy a car in the kid’s name, they get credit cards and charge them up in the kid’s name, and then they default on everything all at once,” he says.

That leaves your child with the consequences, and when it comes to applying for student loans- for example- they could face a challenge getting approval.

While there’s nothing parents can do under current law to protect against identity theft, Howard says you can check your child’s profile to make sure nobody has already opened accounts under his or her name.

While lawmakers debate the proposal, Howard says adults themselves should consider a credit freeze.  Generally, that locks the amount of credit you have taken out and gives you a secret code that must be used in order to get more credit. That protects you against identity thieves who would not be able to add to your credit because they don’t have the code.