Apparently, children are increasingly becoming the preferred target of identity theft and a study showed that 1 and 10 American children is the victim of identity theft and it could be years before parents realize it.

In an interview with ABCNews, an 18-year-old student just starting her freshman year of college was denied from the first credit card company that she applied to. After rejecting her twice, she ultimately did some digging and discovered that someone had stolen her identity years prior and put her in $1.5 million of debt.

Months after learning about this crime, she is still working to clear her credit and still faces being rejected if she applies for credit cards or student loans. (To view ABCnews video, click here).

"We've seen children have this crime begin as early as five months old and then it goes on for years," said Bo Holland, founder and CEO of All Clear ID, a company that offers basic identity theft protection to consumers, in an article by 89 WLS.

"The problem is large and growing," said David Vladeck in an article by ABCnews, the FTC's director of the Bureau of Consumer Protection. "Part of the problem is it's undetected and undetectable."

Authorities advise parents to do the following:

 * Make sure you have antivirus software installed on your home computer.

 * Tell your children never to give out their Social Security number without your permission.

 * Check your children's credit periodically, even when they are under age

If you feel like you are a victim of identity theft, click here for more information.