OMAHA, Neb. (KMTV) — Officers suggest parents have child safety kits in a secure spot in their home in case of an emergency. These kits contain information about your children including their age, height, hair and eye color, updated pictures and a DNA sample.
"It could be of benefit. If a child were to go missing or heaven forbid...be involved in some criminal action," Joe Nickerson, an officer with Omaha Police Department says. "Be it abducted or something like that...having fingerprints and DNA...the biggest one is just a fresh picture if we want to get word out to the media in helping find your son or daughter, a fresh picture for them to keep an eye out."
Scammers are preying on parents though, calling and offering these kits. Companies will contact families and ask for their children's personal information such as full names and social security numbers.
Nickerson says legitimate companies that offer kits would never ask for personal information. These scammers will then try to steal your child's identity or open a line of credit in their name.
"The fact that they may be getting a call like this is probably the number one indicator that it probably is not legitimate and you would never want to provide any sense of information about your child. These are fishing expeditions that these scammers operate," Jim Hegarty, President and CEO of the region's Better Business Bureau says.
You can also create a child safety kit on your own. Gather the information and articles, put it together in a box or plastic bag and store it in a secure place.
If you do get a call you believe is a scam or fall victim to a scam, report it to the police. You can also go online to the Better Business Bureau scam tracker. Nickerson also suggests regularly checking your child's credit to ensure no one has stolen their identity.
