How to protect your Social Security number from scammers

7 ways to protect your Social Security number

Protecting your Social Security number starts with a simple mindset: Your SSN is a core part of your identity. Keeping it safe guards you against a wide variety of cybersecurity threats, scams, and frauds.

Here are seven steps you can take right now to protect your SSN. 

1. Limit sharing your SSN

One of the most common ways that SSNs get stolen is by accidentally giving them out. Your SSN is more than just a simple ID. Only provide it to trusted, legitimate entities. And even after verifying who’s requesting your SSN, ask them why they need it.

In many cases, providing your Social Security number is unavoidable. However, it’s worth asking whether alternative forms of identification, like your driver’s license or work ID, are also accepted. These options still establish who you are while lowering your exposure to identity fraud.

2. Use strong passwords for online accounts

You don’t need a password to use your SSN. However, any account on a website that stores your SSN — typically organizations like credit bureaus, healthcare providers, or government agencies — can be a target of hackers and other cybercriminals. Protecting these types of accounts with strong passwords reduces the risk of your SSN being compromised. For added security, enable multi-factor authentication and review the account recovery options.

3. Secure stored SSN data

Your SSN may also be stored in other places, such as electronic records you’ve kept for personal reference. Ensure that these records are always secured with encryption and passwords. If they’re on a storage device like a flash drive or an external hard disk, keep it hidden.

You should also avoid exposing your SSN to the public. Don’t use it as a username or login credential. Avoid including it in forms, websites, or accounts that don’t require it. While it’s a valid form of identification, it’s safer to use other methods to verify your identity whenever possible.

4. Protect your physical SSN card

Your SSN can be found on the card issued by the Social Security Administration. While it looks, functions, and can act as an ID card, avoid putting it in your wallet or other places where you keep your IDs. Store it in a safe place and only take it out when absolutely needed.

This best practice also applies to any documents you’ve signed that contain your SSN. The Social Security Administration advises that you shred documents that may include your SSN, especially forms addressed to government agencies or concerning government benefits.

5. Beware of SSN-related phone and email scams

Criminals don’t just rely on chance and will often actively try to steal your SSN through phishing emails, fraudulent phone calls, or fake messages pretending to be from trusted entities. While some government agencies may legitimately ask for your SSN, it’s important to verify who is asking and why.

In general, never share your SSN over the phone, via email, or any other channel of communication. Only disclose your SSN to the people who you’ve confirmed are trustworthy and represent organizations that require it.

6. Monitor your financial and Social Security records

Since your SSN is closely tied to your personal finances, it’s critical to check your credit report regularly to spot any unusual activity. If you fall victim to identity theft, your finances will often be the first target of attackers. Schemes like tax-related identity theft will be hard to spot without consulting your credit report.

If possible, go one step further and set up fraud alerts with your credit bureaus. You can also sign up for Social Security account monitoring services, so you can have better oversight over your SSN.

7. Set up your online Social Security account

Another way to easily keep track of your SSN is to create a “my Social Security” account on the official Social Security Administration website. The process is straightforward — you can sign up with either Login.gov or ID.me. Once set up, you can use the account to manage everything about your Social Security, including verifying your earnings with your employer.

Your account allows you to keep track of any government benefits you’ve applied for. This visibility can help you catch early signs if someone tries to misuse your identity since criminals often target government benefits once they’ve successfully stolen an SSN. 

Where you should never give out your Social Security number

While some situations do require you to give your Social Security number, it’s also important to know when not to give it out. Here are a few examples of when and where you shouldn’t give your Social Security number:

• Over the phone to unsolicited callers
• In response to emails (even if they appear official) 
• On public or unsecured websites
• On social media or public forums
• As a condition for claiming prizes, jackpots, or winnings 
• On job applications that don’t require SSN verification
• On forms asking for a valid form of identification
• To any person asking for it without a clear or verifiable reason
• As a login method when signing up for online services

A good rule of thumb is to only use your SSN for official purposes involving government services, credit/banking, employment, or healthcare. Doing so ensures that only trusted entities have access to your SSN. Legitimate organizations will not request your SSN via unsecured channels like email or text messages.

Why is protecting your Social Security number important?

Protecting your Social Security number is important because this number allows you to interact with various government, financial, and medical institutions in the United States. Since these organizations often accept SSNs as proof of a person’s identity, having it stolen can result in serious consequences.

Some of the actions identity thieves can do with your Social Security number are the following:

• Share your SSN on the dark web for other criminals to access
• Try to open credit cards in your name
• Try to purchase property
• Claim government benefits
• Create new bank accounts
• Try to obtain car loans
• File and claim tax benefits

The consequences (often legal and financial in nature) can be difficult to recover from. Your SSN is fixed and cannot be changed — except in extreme situations like life endangerment or harassment — which means criminals only need to steal it once. If that happens, you could be managing the effects for years to come.

How does Social Security identity theft occur?

The methods that criminals use to try and steal Social Security numbers are always evolving, making it difficult to list each one. However, they commonly use these main approaches to commit SSN identity theft:

Physical theft

Physical theft involves stealing your SSN card or any documents that contain your Social Security number. Since many people think that SSNs are just another valid form of ID, it’s not uncommon for thieves to simply target wallets, bags, or ID cards in the hope of stealing someone’s SSN.

Criminals don’t necessarily need to steal from you directly. Any organization or institution that keeps paper records of SSNs also creates risk of physical theft.

Social engineering attacks

Social engineering is a tactic often used by criminals to manipulate individuals into giving up sensitive personal and financial information, including SSNs. These tactics involve impersonating trusted entities, which creates a false sense of urgency and tricks someone into lowering their guard.

Social engineering attacks can be highly tailored to the target. Common methods include phishing, smishing, baiting, or interception of official business communications.

Data breaches

Some criminals skip stealing SSNs from individuals and go right after the organizations that keep a record of SSNs. By targeting their data, criminals gain access to thousands or even millions of SSNs with a single breach, often without immediate detection.

These large-scale data breaches are among the most damaging forms of identity theft. The responsibility for detecting and stopping them falls on the organization. In the event of a successful data breach, affected people can only mitigate the damage and hold the responsible entity accountable.

Recognizing signs of SSN theft

Knowing all these risks, you may be asking yourself, “How do I check to see if someone is using my Social Security number?” Some of the red flags to look out for include:

• Being unable to apply for credit
• Getting letters from debtors or creditors that you don’t remember owing
• Seeing tax returns that don’t match your actual filings
• Irregularities with your medical billing
• Credit card charges that you didn’t authorize
• Being denied government benefits that you should be qualified for
• Receiving notifications of unusual financial activity
• Legal charges like a criminal record or a warrant of arrest

Unexpected or unexplained financial, legal, or medical changes tied to your personal data may indicate SSN identity theft. If you’d like to learn more, you can take a look at our guide and learn how to check if someone is using your Social Security number.

How to respond to Social Security identity theft

Once you’ve verified that your SSN has been stolen, immediately follow these four steps to respond to Social Security identity theft:

Report the theft

Above all else, notify the authorities that your SSN has been stolen and that you may be a victim of identity theft. Inform these two major institutions:

• Social Security Administration. You can request to block electronic access to your SSN records. 
• Federal Trade Commission. The FTC handles reports about identity theft, where you can file a complaint and receive a recovery plan. This documentation can be useful once you talk to other organizations, like banks and credit bureaus, to sort out your stolen SSN concerns.

You can also file an identity theft report with your local police and the Internal Revenue Service since criminals will often use stolen Social Security numbers for tax fraud. However, contacting the Social Security Administration should take priority.

Advise your credit bureau

Telling your credit bureau (Equifax, Experian, or TransUnion) that your SSN has been stolen is an important step. You can request a credit freeze, which means thieves will be unable to access or affect your credit report. 

These organizations can put a fraud alert on your file to prevent any further financial issues. Under federal law, you can also get a free credit report annually from each of these three major credit bureaus. You can access these free reports online through AnnualCreditReport.com, which is the only official site authorized to provide these reports.

Prevent further damage

After notifying government and financial agencies, you’ll need to track down every business that has access to your SSN or could be targeted by thieves using it. Explain that your Social Security number has been stolen, and ask them to be more thorough in verifying your identity before approving any official transactions or communications. If you’d like to learn more about the right steps, you can take a look at our guide on what to do if someone has your Social Security number.

To stay ahead of potential threats, you may also consider investing in an identity theft protection service like NordProtect. It can track your credit score and activity, cover qualifying identity theft recovery costs, and scan the dark web for any sign of your SSN being exposed.