Identity Theft And Your Social Security Number 10064 EN 05

User Manual: 10064

Open the PDF directly: View PDF .
Page Count: 8

Download
Open PDF In Browser	View PDF

Identity Theft
and Your Social
Security Number

SocialSecurity.gov

Identity theft is one of the fastest
growing crimes in America. A dishonest
person who has your Social Security
number can use it to get other personal
information about you. Identity thieves
can use your number and your good
credit to apply for more credit in your
name. Then, they use the credit cards
and don’t pay the bills, it damages
your credit. You may not find out
that someone is using your number
until you’re turned down for credit, or
you begin to get calls from unknown
creditors demanding payment for items
you never bought.
Someone illegally using your Social
Security number and assuming your
identity can cause a lot of problems.

Your number is confidential
The Social Security Administration
protects your Social Security number
and keeps your records confidential.
We don’t give your number to anyone,
except when authorized by law. You
should be careful about sharing your
number, even when you’re asked for
it. You should ask why your number is
needed, how it’ll be used, and what will
happen if you refuse. The answers to
these questions can help you decide
if you want to give out your Social
Security number.

1

How might someone steal
your number?
Identity thieves get your personal
information by:
• Stealing wallets, purses, and your
mail (bank and credit card statements,
pre-approved credit offers, new
checks, and tax information);
• Stealing personal information you
provide to an unsecured site online,
from business or personnel records
at work, and personal information in
your home;
• Rummaging through your trash, the
trash of businesses, and public trash
dumps for personal data;
• Posing by phone or email as
someone who legitimately needs
information about you, such as
employers or landlords; or
• Buying personal information from
“inside” sources. For example,
an identity thief may pay a store
employee for information about you
that appears on an application for
goods, services, or credit.

Be careful with your Social
Security card and number
When you start a job, make sure your
employer has your correct Social
Security number so your records are
correct. Provide your Social Security
number to your financial institution(s) for
tax reporting purposes. Keep your card
2

and any other document that shows
your Social Security number in a safe
place. DO NOT routinely carry your
card or other documents that display
your number.

What if you think someone is
using your number?
Sometimes more than one person
uses the same Social Security number,
either on purpose or by accident. If you
suspect someone is using your number
for work purposes, you should contact
us to report the problem. We’ll review
your earnings with you to ensure our
records are correct.
You also may review earnings
posted to your record on your Social
Security Statement. The Statement is
available online to workers age 18 and
older. To get your Statement, go to
www.socialsecurity.gov/myaccount
and create an account.

What if an identity thief is
creating credit problems for you?
If someone has misused your Social
Security number or other personal
information to create credit or other
problems for you, Social Security can’t
resolve these problems. But there are
several things you should do.
Visit IdentityTheft.gov to report
identity theft and get a recovery plan.
IdentityTheft.gov guides you through
3

each step of the recovery process.
It’s a one-stop resource managed by
the Federal Trade Commission, the
nation’s consumer protection agency.
You can also call 1-877-IDTHEFT
(1-877-438-4338); TTY 1-866-653-4261.
You may want to contact the Internal
Revenue Service (IRS). An identity thief
also might use your Social Security
number to file a tax return to receive
your refund. If you’re eligible for a
refund, a thief could file a tax return
before you do and get your refund.
Then, when you do file, the IRS will
think you already received your refund.
If your Social Security number is stolen,
another person may use it to get a job.
That person’s employer would report
earned income to the IRS using your
Social Security number. This will make
it appear that you didn’t report all of
your income on your tax return. If you
think you may have tax issues because
someone has stolen your identity, go to
www.irs.gov/uac/Identity-Protection
or call 1-800-908-4490.
Also, you should file an online complaint
with the Internet Crime Complaint
Center (IC3) at www.ic3.gov.
The IC3 gives victims of cybercrime a
convenient and easy-to-use reporting
mechanism that alerts authorities of
suspected criminal or civil violations.
IC3 sends every complaint to one or
more law enforcement or regulatory
agencies with jurisdiction.
4

(over)

IC3’s mission is to receive, develop, and
refer criminal complaints regarding the
rapidly expanding arena of cybercrime.
The IC3 serves the broader law
enforcement community that combats
Internet crime. This includes federal,
state, local, and international agencies.
The IC3 reflects a partnership between
the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the
National White Collar Crime Center, and
the Bureau of Justice Assistance.
You should also monitor your
credit report periodically. You can
get free credit reports online at
www.annualcreditreport.com.

Should you get a new Social
Security number?
If you’ve done all you can to fix the
problems resulting from misuse of your
Social Security number, and someone is
still using your number, we may assign
you a new number.
You can’t get a new Social
Security number:
• If your Social Security card is lost or
stolen, but there’s no evidence that
someone is using your number;
• To avoid the consequences of filing
for bankruptcy; or
• If you intend to avoid the law or your
legal responsibility.

5

If you decide to apply for a new number,
you’ll need to prove your identity, age,
and U.S. citizenship or immigration
status. For more information, ask for
Your Social Security Number and Card
(Publication Number 05-10002). You’ll
also need to provide evidence you’re
having ongoing problems because
of the misuse.
Keep in mind that a new number
probably won’t solve all your problems.
This is because other governmental
agencies (such as the IRS and state
motor vehicle agencies) and private
businesses (such as banks and credit
reporting companies) will have records
under your old number. Along with other
personal information, credit reporting
companies use the number to identify
your credit record. So using a new
number won’t guarantee you a fresh
start. This is especially true if your other
personal information, such as your name
and address, remains the same.
If you receive a new Social Security
number, you shouldn’t use the old
number anymore.
For some victims of identity theft, a new
number actually creates new problems.
If the old credit information isn’t
associated with your new number, the
absence of any credit history under your
new number may make it more difficult
for you to get credit.

6

Contacting Social Security
The most convenient way to contact
us anytime, anywhere is to visit
www.socialsecurity.gov. There, you
can: apply for benefits; open a my
Social Security account, which you
can use to review your Social Security
Statement, verify your earnings, print a
benefit verification letter, change your
direct deposit information, request a
replacement Medicare card, and get
a replacement 1099/1042S; obtain
valuable information; find publications;
get answers to frequently asked
questions; and much more.
If you don’t have access to the internet,
we offer many automated services by
telephone, 24 hours a day, 7 days a
week. Call us toll-free at 1-800-772-1213
or at our TTY number, 1-800-325-0778,
if you’re deaf or hard of hearing.
If you need to speak to a person, we
can answer your calls from 7 a.m. to 7
p.m., Monday through Friday. We ask
for your patience during busy periods
since you may experience a higher than
usual rate of busy signals and longer
hold times to speak to us. We look
forward to serving you.

Social Security Administration
Publication No. 05-10064
ICN 463270 | Unit of Issue — HD (one hundred)
June 2017 (November 2016 edition may be used)
Identity Theft and Your Social Security Number
Produced and published at U.S. taxpayer expense
Printed on recycled paper



---

Source Exif Data:

File Type                       : PDF
File Type Extension             : pdf
MIME Type                       : application/pdf
PDF Version                     : 1.6
Linearized                      : Yes
Language                        : en-US
Tagged PDF                      : Yes
XMP Toolkit                     : Adobe XMP Core 5.6-c015 84.159810, 2016/09/10-02:41:30
Original Document ID            : adobe:docid:indd:232249ff-04b4-11dd-befb-fa8f5d4152a3
Instance ID                     : uuid:6a24c7c6-bf7e-46e8-95b7-3cfbdd8c41da
Document ID                     : xmp.id:29305457-9d16-ed4e-9010-0c9627a35258
Rendition Class                 : proof:pdf
Derived From Instance ID        : xmp.iid:27a305b4-b3dc-0843-9a91-7074e3f5badb
Derived From Document ID        : xmp.did:fff0a919-71e6-5d47-bec8-0840ce9be2c0
Derived From Original Document ID: adobe:docid:indd:232249ff-04b4-11dd-befb-fa8f5d4152a3
Derived From Rendition Class    : default
History Action                  : converted
History Parameters              : from application/x-indesign to application/pdf
History Software Agent          : Adobe InDesign CC 2015 (Windows)
History Changed                 : /
History When                    : 2017:07:20 08:55:27-04:00
Metadata Date                   : 2017:07:20 08:57:36-04:00
Modify Date                     : 2017:07:20 08:57:36-04:00
Create Date                     : 2017:07:20 08:55:27-04:00
Creator Tool                    : Adobe InDesign CC 2015 (Windows)
Format                          : application/pdf
Creator                         : Social Security Administration, Office of Communications
Title                           : Identity Theft and Your Social Security Number
Description                     : Card and Number
Subject                         : Social Security Administration, SSA, Identity Theft and Your Social Security Number
Producer                        : Adobe PDF Library 15.0
Trapped                         : False
Keywords                        : Social Security Administration; SSA; Identity Theft and Your Social Security Number
Page Layout                     : SinglePage
Page Count                      : 8
Author                          : Social Security Administration

EXIF Metadata provided by EXIF.tools