In the United States, one of the most important documents to keep in mind is, without a doubt, the Social Security number. Through this number we can achieve many things and losing it can be a big problem. Through the SSA number we can apply for a mortgage, we can apply for a job or we can even apply for retirement benefits.
For that reason, if our Social Security number falls into the wrong hands we are going to run into very serious problems. So protecting our SSA number should be one of the top priorities, since losing it will only bring complications. Worst of all, there are many methods to steal SSA numbers these days, so we must always be on our guard.
How to avoid Social Security number theft?
There are several ways to prevent Social Security number theft, but there are five basic tips that will help us avoid having the number end up in the wrong place. There is one general tip, though: don’t expose your SSA number.
Knowing this, let’s take a look at the 5 most useful tips to prevent your Social Security number from being stolen:
- Never have your SSA number on a document in your wallet or anything like that. Don’t say it out loud in front of other people either.
- Avoid phishing scams at all costs. They are a very common practice in recent years. This means don’t use your SSN on any untrusted sites on the Internet.
- Block all electronic services through the SSA. This will prevent anyone from modifying your personal information.
- Regularly check your credit history and bank accounts for suspicious activity.
- Try to block fraudulent Direct deposit in Social Security to avoid unauthorized changes.
However, it is true that even if you follow these tips, you may find that someone steals your SSA number. For this reason, we should always be aware of what is happening with this information and report it automatically if we see suspicious activity.
How do I report my Social Security number stolen?
If your Social Security number has already been stolen and you need help recovering it, there are several things you can do. The general advice in this case is to act as soon as possible. We should not let time pass once we discover that we are facing this situation.
What we can do is:
- Contact the FTC. You can do this through IdetityTheft.gov or by calling 877-438-4338.
- Contact the IRS. The criminal who steals your SSN can claim your Tax Refund, so we must contact the IRS to prevent this.
- Contact the Social Security Administration. One of their offices can help you recover your SSN.
- Report a fraud alert. If you call the credit bureaus to report fraud with your Social Security number, you can prevent them from applying for a mortgage in your name.
- Block your credit. This is important because it will help you prevent anyone from applying for credit in your name.
Remember that it is very important to prevent your Social Security number from being stolen, but it is also important to act when your number has already been stolen.