Never Email Your Social Security Number, I Beg You

Emails started coming to me around the same time that the government started sending out payments to fight the coronavirus in April.

Some people had questions about the nuances of their tax situation or about navigating the IRS payment information site. Most of the people who have emailed me just wanted to know where their money is and when they can get it. Can I help them find it?

To learn more about digital privacy and security, watch the video below:

Then there was an alarming subset of mailings: people who somehow thought I was an IRS employee. How my Lifehacker email address spread around the world wide web and somehow became attached to any suspicion that I was working for the IRS is beyond my reach. But requests have been made. And many of them included information that could compromise the identity of the email senders.

At first, it was the last four digits of someone’s social security number, along with their full legal name. Then I got a call from someone who had previously emailed me, leaving their full social security number in my voicemail. I also received emails containing partial SSNs and postal addresses, full SSNs, dates of birth … you name it, I received.

And it scared me. I have been writing about identity theft and phishing scams for years, but now I can see with complete clarity how many people have missed all the warnings and tips shared by countless publications, government agencies and non-profit organizations.

Louder for the people in the back

So, I’m going to repeat this again because it’s worth repeating over and over:

Do not email your Social Security number to anyone. Is always. Don’t pass it on to anyone who calls you unexpectedly claiming they have a good reason for doing so. Don’t even say it out loud if you can avoid it.

It’s too risky.

You may think you know and follow best practices to protect your identity from scammers and thieves, but chances are good that someone you know has no idea. FTC data showed that last year alone, consumers filed more than 3.2 million complaints with the agency, of which more than 1.7 million were for fraudulent attempts and more than 650,000 for identity theft.

This can happen to a parent, friend, someone your age, someone in a different age group. In fact, the age group most affected by monetary losses due to fraud is between the ages of 30 and 39. But the older the victims, the greater their monetary losses.

How to talk to parents about scammers

While anyone can fall prey to a scam or be the victim of identity theft through other channels, I have found it harder to talk frankly with my elders, including people who have emailed me and called themselves retirees.

While I may feel comfortable berating a close friend outright for sharing their personal information, my parents or other people with more life experiences than me may be offended or embarrassed by this tactic.

So I turned to Cameron Huddleston, author of Mom and Dad, We Need to Talk: How to Have Important Conversations with Parents about Their Finances , for advice on how to approach this big, daunting topic.

Although you can respond to a message about an attempted scam (or worse, the success of a scam) by saying, “Everyone knows this is a scam!” Huddleston said it could be off-putting and embarrassing for your parents or seniors.

“One of the best ways to talk to parents about fraud and identity theft is by example,” she said. “You can share an article you read about an ongoing scam or a report you heard on TV. Or you can tell your parents that they recently called you because of a scam and you want to warn them not to rule out such calls. “

Rather than scolding or scolding your family members, Huddleston recommended focusing on how smart the scammers are, emphasizing that anyone can be tricked, and criminals always find new ways to trick people.

She also advised you to coach your parents if they find it uncomfortable to just hang up or not answer phone calls at all. “Instead, help them come up with a sentence they can use to end the conversation without feeling bad. For example, you can tell your parents to tell telemarketers and suspicious callers that they have a guest and they can’t talk right now, ”suggested Huddleston.

At least remember this

Even people confident in their fraud detection skills can be tricked by criminals. And sometimes, without hesitation, you lose your guard and find yourself in vulnerable circumstances – like my emails.

Here’s the bare minimum you need to remember to keep your identity safe. Learn, live, love:

• The IRS never calls or asks for your social security number. The IRS rarely calls at all and prefers regular mail.
• Social Security does not call you and ask for your number. They already have it.
• Never email sensitive personal information, such as your SSN or images of government documents (social security card, driver’s license, passport), unless the transmission is encrypted. For example: does your doctor’s office ask you to upload a photo of your ID to their patient portal? This is fine. But you shouldn’t just send them an email with a picture attached.
• Do not voluntarily share your SSN with anyone unless you are sure they need it to provide the services you requested. Feel free to ask if you can provide an alternative way to verify your identity.
• If in doubt, tell the caller that you will dial the credit card / bank / government agency number immediately before providing any personal information that is requested.
• Do not click on links corresponded or emailed by people you do not know or from people who claim to be from government agencies.