Seven Things You Should Do If Someone Uses Your Social Security Number
Finding that yet another company has suffered a data breach, such as the recent hack that allegedly exposed the Social Security Numbers (SSNs) of billions of Americans, would not be surprising in 2024. At this point, we can probably all assume that most of our personal information is somewhere, somewhere, and we hope that attackers won’t be able to connect enough information to it to cause any serious damage. Unfortunately, there is no way to know for sure whether your Social Security number will be used until it is used—for example, to open a new line of credit in your name.
If this happens, you obviously need to take it seriously. Here are the steps to take to lock down your belongings if you are a victim of identity theft.
Gather information and document everything
First things first: don’t panic. If you see something suspicious on your credit report or bank statement, try to gather as much information as possible. Review your entire financial statements for the year (or sooner if the fraudulent activity started earlier), request a free credit report from each of the three credit reporting agencies, and keep an eye out for any unfamiliar collection notices. , bills or credit offers.
If you think someone is using your Social Security number, keep track of everything in your current note or document in a folder on your desktop or in a secure cloud service. Record the date and time you discovered the problem(s), as well as all communications you have with your banks, credit issuers, credit bureaus, and federal agencies such as the IRS, Social Security Administration (SSA), and Department of Education (DOE). ). and the lawyers and other professionals you hire to help you. Write down the numbers you call, the names of everyone you talk to, and a few notes about the conversation. If you need to send documents, scan and save copies of everything (either take photos or use an app like Genius Scan), and use certified mail and/or receive fax confirmations to ensure delivery. Take screenshots of everything digital and add them to the file.
Freeze your credit
If you haven’t already, contact the three major credit reporting agencies ( Equifax , Experian and TransUnion ) and freeze your credit . Frankly, there’s no reason why your credit should be unfrozen in 2024, given the frequency of data breaches. Most people don’t apply for new credit that often, so the benefit of freezing your file so that no one can open a line of credit without your knowledge far outweighs the minor inconvenience of having to unfreeze it when you apply for the card. or loan. You don’t even need to talk to anyone – just create an account so you can turn hangups online on and off. A credit freeze is free, and you do not have to sign up for a paid service offered by a credit reporting agency or third-party provider.
Please note that not all forms of fraudulent activity using your SSN will be prevented by a credit freeze. Even if your credit is frozen, set up credit alerts (often offered free by credit card issuers) and/or check your credit report regularly to quickly catch errors.
File Identity Theft Reports
If you have evidence that someone has opened an account using your SSN or has otherwise used your identity fraudulently, file a report with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) at identitytheft.gov . You will need to briefly outline your claim, provide information about the specific fraudulent activity, and sign a statement. You will need this report to support any additional claims against other agencies, so download and save it.
You should also file a police report with your local police department (in most cases, you can do this online) and add it to your document file so you can provide it when you dispute the charges with other agencies and creditors. You may need a completed FTC report to file a police report.
Finally, you can file a report with the SSA Office of Inspector General either online or by calling 1-800-269-0271.
Setting up credit fraud alerts
All three credit bureaus offer extended fraud alerts on credit files for one and seven years, prompting lenders to take extra steps to verify the identity of anyone applying for credit using your information. Anyone can set the initial warning to one year, but if you are a victim of identity theft and have an FTC and/or police report, you can extend this to seven years. You only need to do this with one bureau and they will contact the other two. You can request an initial notice online, but to renew the seven-year notice, you must submit documentation by mail .
Under the Fair Credit Reporting Act, you can file a dispute and/or send a letter to the credit bureau describing the fraud and request that they remove any inaccurate information from your credit report. The FTC has a template to follow . Please note that they will not remove anything they have verified as true, but this statement is part of your paper trail.
Report fraudulent activity to your bank and loan issuers
If you see charges you don’t recognize on your bank or credit card statements, report them immediately. Credit card issuers usually won’t hold you accountable for purchases you didn’t make, canceling your card and sending you a new one if fraud has occurred. If you know that someone has opened a loan in your name or has otherwise misused your SSN, it can’t hurt to request a card update, even if there was no fraudulent activity. As an extra precaution, you can even transfer your accounts to another bank.
If the fraud is related to a federal student loan, you may also need to contact the Department of Education and/or the lending institution listed on the bill and follow their claim process.
Freeze your Social Security accounts
In addition to obtaining credit using your information, criminals can use your SSN for employment-related fraud, which could impact you as tax season approaches. Visit the mySocialSecurity SSA website to claim your account, where you can view the earnings history associated with your number. You can also “self-lock” your SSN on e-Verify , which will prevent anyone from sharing your number when applying for a job, and set up a PIN to protect your identity with the IRS. This number will change every year and will need to be filed on your tax return (anyone can request an IP PIN, even if you are not a victim of identity theft). If you discover fraud related to your tax return, you may also need to file Form 14039 .
Reminder: The IRS typically only contacts people by mail , so do not give any personal information to anyone claiming to represent any federal agency by phone, text message, email or social media.
Protect your data for the future
While SSN fraud may not be the result of poor digital hygiene (again, data breaches are the fault of the companies we trust with our information), going forward it can’t hurt to lock down your information as tightly as possible. Update your passwords (starting with any financial accounts) and enable multi-factor authentication wherever it is available. As a last resort, you can even change your email address and phone number and request new identification documents, such as a driver’s license.
You should also ask questions every time a company asks for your SSN. If it is not essential to the service you receive, you may refuse to provide it.
Can you change your Social Security number?
You may be able to change your Social Security number as a victim of identity theft if you can prove that you have tried to resolve the problem but are still exposed to the scam. (SSA will issue a new number in some other special circumstances .) To do this, you will need to make an in-person appointment at your local Social Security office . You will also need to provide evidence, including a theft report, police report, and documentation verifying your name, age, citizenship, and current SSN. Know that this should probably be your very last resort, as changing your SSN has some significant downsides – at a minimum, you’ll have to do a lot of work to make sure you update it throughout, and you could really see negative consequences for your credit file.