Your Social Security number (SSN) is one of the most valuable pieces of personal information you have — and one of the biggest targets for identity thieves. With your SSN, criminals can open fraudulent accounts, file fake tax returns, steal government benefits, and even use your identity for medical services.
Unfortunately, it can be hard to know if your SSN has been stolen until you’re facing debt collectors, missing benefits, or a rejection for credit you thought you qualified for.
That’s why it is critical to know the warning signs and the steps you can take to protect yourself. In this guide, we’ll cover the most common ways someone can misuse your SSN, how to check if someone is using your Social Security number, and what to do right away if you become a victim of identity theft.
4 Ways Someone Can Use Your Social Security Number
While criminals can do a lot of things with your identity once they have your SSN, they are most likely to commit one of the following crimes:
1. Opening Fraudulent Loans and Accounts in Your Name
Someone can use your SSN to open accounts in your name, including credit cards or bank accounts. Then, they can abuse these accounts as they wish, racking up debt or letting bills go unpaid.
New accounts, unpaid bills, and accounts in delinquency can land on your credit report and negatively impact your credit score.
2. Filing Falsified Tax Returns in Your Name to Claim a Tax Refund
Tax identity theft can be one of the most detrimental forms of fraud, especially for the average American. This can delay the processing of your legitimate tax return, including any refund you may be owed, until the IRS straightens things out.
3. Receiving Medical Care Using Your Name and SSN
You may not know that someone has been using your identity with medical providers for months or even years until you receive medical bills in the mail or see unpaid bills on your credit report.
You can even receive improper medical treatment if the criminal’s medical history gets mixed up with yours.
4. Stealing Government Benefits
Stealing your SSN can enable a criminal to fraudulently claim government benefits. And if you already receive Social Security, EBT, unemployment, or SNAP benefits, someone can use your SSN to claim your benefits before you receive them.
With this wide range of possible fraud opportunities, it’s crucial to find out if someone is using your Social Security number as quickly as possible. The faster you determine you’ve become a victim of identity theft, the faster you can help stop fraud in its tracks.
How to Know If Someone is Using Your Social Security Number
Identity theft protection is one of the best ways to know if someone is using your SSN. These services can monitor the dark web, your credit reports, your financial accounts, and other databases to help detect if your SSN has been compromised or is being used. They can alert you quickly, and restoration specialists can help you get back to normal if you experience identity theft. Plus, most identity theft protection plans are affordable.
But if you choose to monitor your Social Security number on your own, here are some ways to find out if someone is using your SSN:
Check Your Credit Report
If someone has used your Social Security number to apply for a credit card or a loan or open other accounts in your name, your credit report is often the first place the activity will appear. Look for accounts you don’t recognize or credit applications you never submitted.
Review Your Mail
Don’t automatically toss out mail you think is junk or was sent by mistake. If you receive mail from companies you don’t do business with, including account statements or past-due notices, it can be a sign that someone has opened an account using your identity.
Look Out for Government Communications
If someone is using your Social Security number to claim government benefits, you may receive mail or other communications related to those benefits that don’t match up with what you currently receive.
File Your Tax Returns Quickly
If the IRS receives your tax return and notifies you that a return has already been filed using your SSN, it means that someone has filed a fraudulent return using your identity. You can help prevent this by getting an IP PIN to protect your tax return.
Review Your Account Statements
Unexplained charges on your credit cards and bank account statements can mean someone has gained access to your account. Even minor charges or withdrawals can indicate that a criminal is testing the waters before they make a larger purchase or try to empty your account.
Follow Up on Rejected Applications
If your credit card or loan application is denied when you thought you had good credit, it’s possible that identity theft is harming your credit. If your application gets denied, the creditor is bound by law to inform you of their reasons for rejection, so make sure to follow up on those reasons.
Check Your Social Security Statement
The Social Security Administration maintains a statement, which you can access online, that contains information about future Social Security benefits and current earnings.
The statement also shows if withdrawals have been taken against your earnings, indicating that someone is using your SSN to claim your benefits (unless those withdrawals are yours). Checking this statement regularly can help you learn if someone is using your identity for employment identity theft.
Look Out for Calls from Debt Collectors
You have the right to ask debt collectors to stop calling, and you may want to. But if you think that they may be calling about debts opened fraudulently using your SSN, it can be worth getting as much information as possible about the debt they’re calling about.
The Best Tips to Protect Your Social Security Number
Protecting against or preventing identity theft is always better than having to recover afterwards. Here are some of our top tips to help you keep your identity safe.
Don’t Carry Your Social Security Card in Your Wallet
If you lose your wallet, you lose your social security card, which makes it way easier for the person who discovers your wallet to steal your identity.
Keep Your Social Security to Yourself
Only share your Social Security number if absolutely necessary. Also, keep your SSN private through email or over the phone.
Protect or Shred Sensitive Documents with Your Social Security Number
Documents with your SSN should be stored securely in your home. Otherwise, if you no longer need these documents, it’s best practice to shred these documents in a high-quality shredder.
Consider Signing up for Identity Theft Protection to Monitor Your SSN
Identity theft protection services, such as IdentityIQ, are dedicated to protecting your personal information. For example, IdentityIQ protects you by monitoring your credit, providing real-time fraud alerts, and having experts ready to assist you.
What To Do If Someone Has Your Social Security Number
If you know or suspect that someone has your Social Security number, it’s important to act as fast as possible. Here are important steps you should take right away:
Place a fraud alert on your credit:
A fraud alert will make it hard for someone to open new accounts under your name. You must contact the three major credit bureaus to place a fraud alert for free. If you no longer need the fraud alert, you contact the credit bureaus or wait until it expires, which can take up to a year.
Freeze your credit:
A credit freeze will make it more difficult for anyone to open new accounts with your SSN. You will need to contact the three major credit bureaus to place a freeze on your credit report. It can last until you remove the freeze. Also, consider reporting your findings to the Federal Trade Commission at ReportFraud.ftc.gov to help resolve your issue further.
File a police report:
Filing a police report can be helpful when trying to catch your identity thief or when filing for identity theft restoration. You will need to provide law enforcement with documents providing identity theft-related activity.
Report to the Internet Crime Complaint Center:
When you file a report with the Internet Crime Complaint Center, they will review your case and send it to federal, state, and international law enforcement. To file a complaint, visit ic3.gov.
Notify the Internal Revenue Service (IRS):
Notify the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) if your Social Security number has been compromised. You will need to fill out the Identity Theft Affidavit, form 14039.
Bottom Line
When your Social Security number is stolen or leaked, acting quickly is the best way to minimize damage. But it’s also a good idea to take proactive measures to protect your identity. You can gain peace of mind by working with an experienced identity protection service like IdentityIQ.
Don’t leave your most valuable and sensitive data up for grabs — take steps now to keep your identity safe.
