How To Protect Your Social Security Number (SSN)

Discovering that your Social Security number has been leaked, lost or stolen can be incredibly stressful. But there are ways to protect your SSN, especially by knowing when and to whom you should share it with.

For example, your employer and your financial institution will request your SSN for tax purposes. It’s also reasonable for a potential landlord to ask for you SSN. Outside those situations, however, you have the right to question why someone needs your SSN and to refuse to share it if you’re not comfortable with the answers.

Identity thieves use a wide range of methods to trick people into sharing personal information like SSNs, online and in real life.

No reputable organization will ask you to send personal information in a pop-up window. Report any suspected scams to the Social Security Administration.

Your SSN is a powerful piece of identification. Beyond accepting new employment, starting an account at a financial institution or possibly entering a contract with a landlord, there is no reason to provide a stranger with your SSN.

Identity theft is the whole suite of crimes that involve deceptively obtaining personal identity information. With your SSN, a thief can commit a range of further crimes, such as getting and using credit cards, applying for loans and withdrawing from your Social Security account. The consequences of these crimes can take a great deal of time and effort to untangle and may even can affect your credit rating.

Always ask how your SSN will be used. In the case of jobs and bank accounts, your SSN is used for tax purposes. When pressed to provide your SSN in other circumstances, ask why it is needed and what it will be used for. In addition, ask about the consequences if you don’t share your SSN. Most importantly, don’t hesitate to refuse access to your SSN if you have any concerns.

Regardless of whom an email or text seems to originate from, do not share your SSN online or through SMS text messages. Not only can emails and texts be malicious phishing attempts, but they can also be a hacking strategy. Once your SSN gets revealed online, it’s nearly impossible to remove.

Depending on the situation, you may be able to offer other types of identification instead. However, be aware that your birth certificate, driver’s license and passport are also valuable identification documents and should not be widely shared.

Unless you’re planning an activity that requires your SSN, such as applying for a mortgage, don’t carry your Social Security card with you. Instead, store it securely, so you’re unlikely to lose it by accident or in an instance of pickpocketing.

If you receive documents containing your SSN, such as tax or bank documents, thoroughly shred or destroy them before disposing of them. Make sure your SSN is completely unreadable. Thieves have been known to comb through mail to search for important ID information.

It might be tempting to use your SSN as a password but consider the consequences if someone finds out what it is. Should someone crack your password, they’ll end up with your SSN, as well as entry into whatever account it was protecting.

The best way to know if your information is being used for identity fraud is to keep a careful eye on your accounts. Regularly check your bank and credit card statements, so you’ll know if either account is being used to make purchases.

If you notice suspicious or unusual activity, you can lock your SSN to prevent further leakage. The Social Security Administration recommends the following.

Identity protection companies can provide prevention and/or recovery services. They protect devices, monitor your credit rating, offer insurance and provide family plans. U.S. News recently compiled a list of the top companies that provide protection against identity theft.