Protecting Your Social Security Number from Fraud

Protecting Your Social Security Number from Fraud

The Social Security Number (SSN) exists primarily with the objective of tracking individual citizen's income and distributing social welfare correctly. It was however transformed to serve as a means of identification in the 1980s and is currently the most commonly used form of identification in the United States.

While this makes sense in so much as almost all Americans have a personal SSN so it is an efficient answer to the need for a ubiquitous form of identification; it is nevertheless an answer which has many flaws. The most glaring of these, and the most costly to average Americans, is that it leaves many people highly vulnerable to identification fraud. Because your SSN is required for almost everything, from acquiring a driving license to apply for a bank loan, the most important private information you possess is attached to the number.

Furthermore due to its wide usage for a variety of differing organizations it is almost impossible to ensure that your personal number remains totally private. In fact, you can use sites such as Social Security Number Background Check to lookup minute details about a person, given their Social Security Number and last name. Yet there are ways you can make sure your number does not fall into the wrong hands. Firstly, it is not a legal obligation to provide your SSN for many services. It is mandatory for most governmental organizations, for example motor vehicle, tax and welfare departments, plus anything that is connected to tax purposes such as banks or employers. Otherwise the choice to use your SSN as a means of identification is your own choice. Ask if they will accept another means of individual identification, this may lead to a refusal. If so then ask questions: Why do you need my SSN? How will you keep it safe? You can then decide for yourself whether their answers seem legitimate and whether you can trust them with personal information. But remember to try and use it as little as possible to ensure its privacy.

Practical ways of making sure you do not misplace your card or to lessen the chance of it being stolen is to simply avoid carrying it about with you everywhere. Rather keep it stored away in a safe place at home and bring it out with you only when you need to use it. One of the common ways in which people are able to get their hands on others SSN is by merely going through someone's mail or garbage and taking an important letter which contains personal information including your SSN. To reduce the risk of this remove your name from mailing lists and make sure you discard bank statements with care, shred them if you can, and take any personal mail out of your mailbox as soon as it appears. Furthermore cancel any bank credit cards you do not use and make sure you keep a close eye on active accounts. All your earnings are kept on record by the Social Security Administration through your SSN and you can request a Social Security Statement to make sure that your income matches that recorded on the statement.

If you find that too much or too little is attributed to your SSN then get in touch with the SSA and explain the discrepancy. Chances are if your SSN is being misused by another then this is the best way to find out. So regularly request a Social Security Statement to keep an eye on the activity of your SSN. If you find that your SSN card has been stolen or that it is being used illegally then immediately contact the Social Security Administration (SSA) and report it. Contact them on the web: www.ssa.gov, or phone: 1-800-772-1213.

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