What to do if someone has your Social Security number

Your Social Security number (SSN) is a critical piece of personal information that influences many aspects of your life. If it gets exposed or stolen, the consequences can be severe — you could become a victim of financial fraud, and bogus activity linked to your Social Security number could result in you being denied employment or other opportunities.

And if your SSN has been stolen, either through a scam or hack, your number could be part of a wider data leak, as happened in the enormous NPD data breach that exposed 2.9 billion rows of data, including Social Security numbers.

Thankfully, if your SSN is ever stolen, there are steps you can take to help mitigate the fallout. Learn what to do if your SSN has been exposed, leaked, or stolen.

Step 1: Lock your Social Security number

Locking your Social Security number prevents it from being accessed or modified for employment or benefit purposes. To lock your Social Security number, you can:

• Place a Social Security block: Stop anyone from viewing or changing your Social Security records by calling 800-772-1213.
• Enable the self-lock feature: Keep employers from using your SSN to verify employment eligibility by visiting e-verify.gov and turning on Self Lock.

When you lock your Social Security number, identity thieves won’t be able to use it to apply for jobs, claim income in your name, or collect government benefits.

Step 2: Place a fraud alert or credit freeze with the credit bureaus

Placing a fraud alert with the three national credit bureaus — Experian, Equifax, and TransUnion — encourages creditors or lenders to take additional steps to verify that it’s you applying for a new loan or credit card.

For example, if someone applies for a new credit card in your name, the credit card company may call you at the phone number on file for you. You can then verify if you have applied for the card or if someone is trying to fraudulently open an account in your name.

You only need to place an alert with one of the three credit bureaus, and that bureau will contact the other two. Your initial fraud alert then remains attached to your credit file for one year. Once you have proof (e.g., a police report or FTC identity theft report) that your SSN was stolen, you can upgrade the initial fraud alert to an extended fraud alert, which lasts for seven years.

Another option is to freeze your credit so that no one can take credit out in your name — not even you. You can unfreeze your credit whenever you’re ready to apply for new credit. However, you’ll need to contact each bureau separately to place or lift a credit freeze on your individual credit reports.

Here’s how you can get in touch with each credit reporting agency to set up a fraud alert:

Step 3: Check your credit report and financial accounts

If your SSN was stolen recently, it’s essential to check your credit report and financial accounts right away. This is the time to confirm if any fraudulent activity has taken place and file disputes with the credit bureaus and any relevant financial institutions.

While you’re checking your documents, look out for new accounts, hard inquiries, and surprise transactions.

Step 4: File reports with the FTC, IC3, and police

File identity theft reports with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3), and local police to create an official record of the crime. This documentation will be vital if you plan to press charges, submit an identity theft insurance claim, or upgrade your initial fraud alert to an extended one.

Police reports can also strengthen your case if lenders pursue you for outstanding balances in your name. With proof, creditors and banks are more likely to recognize the charges as fraudulent and either reverse the transaction or write it off. The debt will also be wiped from your credit report.

Here’s how to file reports with each of these institutions:

How to report Social Security fraud to the FTC

The FTC’s job is to protect consumers and businesses from unfair and unlawful practices. After you file a report, they investigate the SSN and identity theft and offer resources to help you with the recovery process.

Here’s how to report Social Security theft and fraud to the FTC:

1. Go to the FTC’s identity theft portal.
2. Click Get Started and answer the questions about your situation.
3. Follow the FTC’s personalized recovery plan. If you were the victim of ID theft, they also provide pre-written letters to send to the right parties to dispute damages.

Or, if you’d rather speak to someone on the phone, call 1-877-382-4357.

How to report Social Security fraud to the IC3

The Internet Crime Complaint Center is the FBI’s division for dealing with cybercrime. They review complaints and share information with federal, state, local, or international bodies as appropriate.

Here’s how to file a report with the IC3:

1. Go to the ic3.gov website and navigate to File A Complaint in the navigation menu.
2. The IC3 asks you to have the following information ready before you proceed: your address, email address, phone number, description of the incident, and any additional information requested in the form deemed relevant to your report​.
3. You will be guided through the remaining steps with on-screen instructions.

How to report Social Security fraud to the police

While the police don’t specialize in Social Security fraud or identity theft, they have access to information that can increase your chances of finding the culprit. They can also limit your financial and legal liability by documenting the crime and providing official reports to creditors or agencies.

Here’s what you should do when reporting Social Security fraud to the police:

1. Gather materials like your FTC report, ID, and proof of address.
2. File a police report.
3. Keep a copy of your police report for your records.

Step 5: Contact relevant companies and service providers

Contact any legal entity where your Social Security number was used fraudulently. When identity theft happens, you should also directly alert relevant organizations where the fraudster might try and use your number.

Here are some organizations you might need to contact:

• Banks
• Insurance companies
• Healthcare providers
• Loan lenders
• Utility companies

Step 6: Figure out any tax implications

Contact the IRS and tell them your SSN has been stolen. In one of the most nefarious tax scams, criminals can use your SSN to file and claim your tax return. This can also lead to an audit, adding even more work to your identity theft recovery process.

Step 7: Close fraudulent accounts

Closing fraudulent accounts as soon as possible helps with damage control. Anywhere a new account was opened, request written documentation from that business stating that you aren’t liable for any debt and that the fraudulent account was removed from your credit report.

Step 8: Stop debt collectors from hounding you

You have the right to block contact with debt collectors regarding debts that you don’t owe. The FTC provides resources for sample letters on page 21 of this recovery guidance document. You’ll need to provide some evidence, like your FTC identity theft report.

Step 9: Consider getting a new Social Security number

Requesting a new Social Security number is a last resort. The Social Security Administration rarely issues new numbers, but it may do so if you experience ongoing ID theft issues or if your personal safety is threatened. But, be aware that having a second SSN can also cause complications and make it challenging to prove your identity in the future.

How could someone get your Social Security number?

Criminals can get your Social Security number by buying it on the dark web, tricking you into sharing it, breaching a database where it’s stored, or stealing your card.

Here are the most common ways thieves get access to SSNs:

• Phishing and social engineering scams: Scammers may use social engineering to impersonate a bank representative, medical provider, tech support specialist, or government employee to trick you into providing your SSN.
• Fake forms or websites: Scammers create convincing but fraudulent login pages, application forms, or job listings designed to capture your SSN.
• Data breaches and leaks: Companies, healthcare providers, schools, or government agencies that store your SSN can be breached and expose your personal information.
• The dark web: Once SSNs are stolen, they often end up for sale on the dark web, where criminals can buy them at a low cost.
• Mail theft: Thieves may steal tax forms, medical statements, pre-approved credit offers, and other mail containing your Social Security number, or at least the last four digits.
• Public or unsecured Wi-Fi: Entering sensitive information over public Wi-Fi, especially on unsecured sites, can allow hackers to intercept your SSN.

What can happen if someone has your Social Security number?

If someone has your Social Security number, they can commit multiple forms of identity theft, including opening new accounts, stealing government benefits, or filing fraudulent tax returns. The fallout can include debt, financial losses, and long-term damage to your credit.

Here’s a closer look at what someone can do with your Social Security number:

• Open unauthorized accounts: A thief can use your SSN to open credit cards, loans, utility accounts, and more in your name.
• Steal money: With a bit of your personal information, they may break into your bank or investment accounts and steal money.
• Create a synthetic identity: Some identity thieves combine your SSN with other fabricated information to create a “new person” on paper. This can result in long-term, hard-to-trace fraud that follows you for years.
• Use your SSN to get a job: Fraudsters may use your Social Security number for employment fraud, which can cause incorrect earnings to appear on your Social Security Statement. This can affect your future benefits and trigger IRS audits.
• Commit tax fraud: Criminals can file a fake tax return using your SSN to claim a refund before you file. This can delay your legitimate refund and require you to verify your identity with the IRS.
• Leech off benefits: Criminals may try to claim government benefits like unemployment or disability using your information.

How to tell if someone is using your SSN

You can tell if someone is using your SSN by watching out for surprising new changes — unfamiliar transactions and accounts, communications from the government and debt collectors, loan application rejections, and fraud alerts.

If someone steals your SSN and uses it to commit fraud, it’s identity theft.

So, some of the best ways to learn if someone is using your SSN is to check for signs of identity theft:

• Check your credit report regularly: Review your credit reports for signs of new accounts, hard inquiries, and changes to personal information. You can get free weekly reports at www.annualcreditreport.com.
• Creditors and debt collectors are calling you: If you start getting calls from creditors, they may be trying to collect on a debt a fraudster took out in your name.
• You’re getting rejected for loans and credit applications: Lenders will reject your application if you have a low credit score, which may have dropped if a thief took out credit with your name and SSN, then failed to make payments.
• You find strange activity in your transaction history: If unauthorized transactions are shown on your bank statements, someone may be using your SSN to commit financial fraud.
• You’re getting fraud alerts… or you aren’t: Banks and credit bureaus are increasingly effective at detecting fraud, so a prevention specialist may contact you if they spot suspicious activity. However, some thieves are savvy enough to change the contact details on your accounts, redirecting alerts and verification messages to themselves.
• Check your Social Security Statement regularly: Review your statement for signs of identity theft — like work history and earnings errors — to avoid issues with collecting benefits later on. If anything is off, contact the Social Security office to correct your records.
• You receive an unexpected W-2 form: A stolen SSN is usually necessary to carry out employment identity theft. If you receive a W-2 for income you didn’t earn, a fraudster may have successfully used your SSN in a job application.

How to help protect yourself from SSN theft

You can reduce the risk of Social Security number theft by keeping close track of your records, limiting when and where you share personal information, and strengthening your online security. It’s also smart to use Social Security monitoring. Even if you’ve been careful, an organization that stores your information could experience a data breach.

Here’s how to help protect your SSN and look out for ID theft:

• Safeguard your SSN: Limit who has access to your Social Security number to reduce the chances someone will use it fraudulently. Before providing it, ask if an alternative form of ID is accepted and confirm why they need the Social Security number.
• Pay attention to junk mail and IRS notices: Unexpected letters, emails, or IRS communications could be a sign someone is attempting to use your SSN fraudulently. Noticing these signs early helps you take action before creditors try to collect on unauthorized debt in your name.
• Maintain good internet security: Install antivirus software, enable firewalls, and use a password manager to protect sensitive information from malware and hackers. Also, be careful when entering personal information into websites or forms.
• Monitor for data breaches: Data breaches can expose your SSN, putting you at risk for identity theft. Data breach detection services like LifeLock’s can alert you if your personal information is exposed and help you respond quickly to prevent misuse.
• Get identity theft protection: Try a reliable identity theft protection service like LifeLock, which goes beyond credit monitoring and what you can do just by yourself. You’ll get alerts if we find potentially fraudulent use of your Social Security number, name, address, or date of birth in applications for services or credit.

Get award-winning identity theft protection

Even if you take precautions, your Social Security number can still fall into the wrong hands if your device is infected with malware, you enter sensitive data into a malicious form, get caught up in a data breach, or fall for an impersonation scam.

LifeLock monitors for signs of fraudulent SSN use and helps you respond quickly to avoid further damage. You’ll also get support replacing your Social Security card, credit cards, and more if your wallet is stolen. Try the 30-day free trial to see how LifeLock can help protect your identity.

FAQs

Should I be worried if someone has my Social Security number?

Absolutely. An exposed Social Security number is cause for concern. If a fraudster has your number and enough other details, they could use it to apply for credit or a job. This could damage your credit, distort employment records, and prevent you from getting loans, securing a job, buying a home, or benefiting from other opportunities.

Can you get a new Social Security number if it was stolen?

Yes, you can change your Social Security number, but only if you’re a victim of identity theft and after you’ve exhausted all other remedies to address misuse.

Could someone still use my Social Security number if they have one wrong digit?

No, one wrong digit will cause the identity verification to fail. However, identity thieves may not need your entire Social Security number. The last four digits of a SSN are often enough for identity confirmation. If someone has those and other personal data, they can potentially commit fraud.

What to do if someone stole your Social Security card?

If someone stole your Social Security card, place a fraud alert or credit freeze with the credit bureaus, and request a replacement card from the Social Security Administration. If you notice signs that someone is misusing your Social Security number, report the fraud to www.identitytheft.gov to get a personal recovery plan.