Your SSN is on the dark web — here’s what to do about it

Your Social Security fig is 1 of the astir delicate pieces of idiosyncratic accusation you own. Too atrocious yours (and excavation and each different Americans’) has apt been leaked and sold connected the Dark Web.

Before you panic, determination are a fewer steps you tin instrumentality close present to support yourself and your identity.

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Is it truly that large a deal?

It definite is. Your Social Security fig is the cardinal to the castle. It’s the unsocial identifier that connects your financial, government and idiosyncratic records.

With your SSN, criminals tin unfastened recognition card accounts, use for loans, hijack your taxation refunds, usage your authorities benefits oregon adjacent use for jobs.

There’s an casual measurement you tin take.

In this photograph illustration, a Social Security paper sits alongside checks from the U.S. Treasury connected October 14, 2021, successful Washington, DC.  (Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)

To safeguard your Social Security number, usage the government's free Self Lock feature. This instrumentality prevents your SSN from being utilized for unauthorized employment verifications. You'll request an E-Verify account to bash this online.

You tin besides petition a artifact by calling the Social Security Administration astatine 1-800-772-1213. Expect to hold connected clasp for a agelong time.

Stay proactive

The Social Security Administration besides provides online entree to your net and benefits past done its my Social Security account. It’s escaped to usage and you tin get an relationship adjacent if you don’t person benefits.

I urge you cheque this erstwhile a twelvemonth to marque definite thing is amiss. Check the reported income and corroborate everything aligns with your existent enactment and benefits history.

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Note that if you created a Social Security username much than 3 years ago, you’ll request to make a Login.gov relationship oregon usage an ID.me account.

The reg flags

How bash you cognize if your SSN is successful idiosyncratic else’s hands? Let maine number the ways …

Unexpected bills oregon accounts: Receiving bills oregon statements for accounts you ne'er opened is 1 of the astir evident signs idiosyncratic is utilizing your Social Security number. Thieves tin usage your SSN to unfastened recognition paper accounts, instrumentality retired loans oregon adjacent acceptable up utilities successful your name. 

If this happens, interaction the institution instantly and study the fraudulent activity. At this point, a recognition frost is simply a must, too.

A pistillate uses a laptop connected April 3, 2019. (ISSOUF SANOGO/AFP via Getty Images)

Tax forms that aren’t yours: If you get taxation forms similar W-2s oregon 1099s successful the message from employers you’ve ne'er worked with, it could mean idiosyncratic utilized your SSN to get a job. In this benignant of employment fraud, idiosyncratic who whitethorn not different walk employment checks uses your individuality instead. It’s a messiness and could permission you connected the hook for their tax obligations.

Contact the IRS close distant if you get immoderate unusual taxation forms. 

Tax filing goes awry: You record your taxes, past get a announcement that idiosyncratic other already filed utilizing your SSN. This is simply a elemental and amazingly effectual mode for criminals to get refunds owed to you.

Act accelerated if you get a missive from the IRS astir a duplicate filing. Go to IdentityTheft.gov to record a report. You whitethorn request to implicit IRS Form 14039, the Identity Theft Affidavit, to officially study the incident.

Pro tip: Protect your taxation accounts earlier this ever happens. The IRS offers a peculiar Identity Protection PIN program. You get a six-digit fig to usage for filing your taxes, efficaciously locking your relationship to outsiders.

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Hints connected your recognition report: I stake you spot a taxable here. Anything you cognize wasn’t you is the biggest sign. That tin see caller accounts, lines of recognition you didn’t instrumentality retired oregon different unexplained changes to your credit. 

You tin get a escaped recognition study erstwhile a twelvemonth from each of the 3 large recognition bureaus through AnnualCreditReport.com. Pro tip: Stagger the reports each fewer months to support an oculus connected it much easy crossed the year. 

Government payment denials: If you’re denied benefits similar disability, Medicare, unemployment oregon different authorities assistance, idiosyncratic whitethorn already beryllium utilizing your SSN to assertion them fraudulently. 

If it happens to you, scope retired to the bureau and explicate the situation. They volition usher you to the adjacent steps to restoring your benefits.

A idiosyncratic dressed arsenic an net hacker is seen with binary codification displayed connected a laptop surface successful this illustration photo. (Photo by Jakub Porzycki/NurPhoto via Getty Images)

Suspect your SSN was stolen?

Move quickly. Start with the Federal Trade Commission at IdentityTheft.gov. Fill retired the signifier there, and you’ll get an entire plan for however to retrieve your individuality and support yourself going forward.

The IRS besides has a spot to study if you fishy idiosyncratic is utilizing your SSN: Identity Theft Central.

Check with your bank, recognition paper providers and security company, too. Some connection escaped fraud and individuality theft extortion services that tin assistance you support everything locked down.

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