How Do You Know if Your Social Security Has Been Breached

Chris Scott

Contributing Writer at Tally

Baronial 27, 2021

Social Security fraud is a big problem in the United states of america. The Social Security Assistants reports that it made virtually $seven.9 billion in improper payments during the 2019 fiscal year. This statistic doesn't account for other ways identity thieves use Social Security numbers (SSNs). Experian reports that around 5% of the American population is impacted by identity theft each year.

If you lot think someone has stolen your Social Security information, information technology'south of import to act chop-chop. The sooner you tin terminate the thief from using your SSN, the easier the damage repair.

In this article, we reply the question, "How do I run into if someone is using my Social Security number?" We'll discuss:

• How to cheque whether your SSN was stolen

• What y'all can exercise if your SSN was stolen

• The next steps to take after identity theft

• How to prevent identity theft from taking place

Monitoring whether someone has stolen your Social Security number is important considering of the personal and financial implications information technology carries. With your Social Security number, identity thieves can:

• Open up credit cards in your name and ignore the bills, damaging your credit score

• Drain funds from your depository financial institution account

• Open new accounts

• Utilise for loans and new credit lines

• File your tax render and receive a refund

• Receive medical care, impacting your future health insurance rates and eligibility, or drain your Medicare funds

• Open up utility service agreements in your proper noun

• Commit a crime, ranging from a speeding ticket to something more than violent

• Submit a retirement awarding with the Social Security Administration (SSA)

The more information the identity thief has, the easier it is for them to commit the higher up crimes. For example, if they have your name, address, date of birth and Social Security number, they can create a false driver'south license and Social Security card with your information. From in that location, they can begin opening accounts under your credit study.

Similarly, the longer an ID thief uses your information, the harder information technology is to undo the impairment. According to Allstate, it can have anywhere from 100 to 200 hours over half dozen months to contrary identity theft.

Unfortunately, there is no manner of knowing whether someone has your Social Security number until they use it. Some companies offer dark spider web monitoring, which tracks your information across areas of the net typically reserved for criminal activities. Your information oft ends up on the dark web if you are the victim of a information breach.

However, even if your information appears on a dark web scan, there's no way to guarantee that someone has your SSN specifically or that they are using it.

To bank check to see if someone is using your SSN, consider checking your credit report. You can exercise this online through AnnualCreditReport.com, the only authorized website for free credit reports. You lot can also apply the Almanac Credit Report phone number (1-877-322-8228) to request your credit written report.

One time yous take your credit written report, review it to run into if anything is out of the ordinary. Carefully confirm your accounts and open lines of credit to make sure all of the information in these sections is legitimate. If not, someone may exist fraudulently using your information.

Lastly, y'all may too desire to view your Social Security Statement. This document volition show whether someone has begun withdrawing against your Social Security account earnings, which is another tell-tale indicator that someone is using your SSN.

What can I practise if someone steals my SSN?

If yous believe you are the victim of identity theft, you'll need to spend time undoing it. Reversing identity theft may take fourth dimension, but doing and then tin can salvage your credit score. Below are the steps to have to remove fraudulent activeness from your credit information:

ane. Contacting the company directly

If you can tell from your credit report which lender or company was used to open the account, you lot'll want to contact them directly. Provide information like the account number to flag futurity activity every bit fraudulent and terminate the identity thief from using the account going forward.

2. Filing an FTC report, report the incident to the SSA, and alert the IRS

Even if you contact the company in the previous step, consider filing a formal study with the FTC via IdentityTheft.gov. This government website will help you create a plan of recovery for your situation.

Also, alarm the Social Security Assistants that your unique SSN has been compromised.

Lastly, report the incident to the Internal Revenue Service so that the identity thief does not file for your revenue enhancement refund.

3. Contacting your local police

As mentioned, criminals can commit crimes using your information. Filing a police report covers you in case of illegal activity by the identity thief. Brand sure that law enforcement files a formal report and that y'all receive a re-create.

4. Placing a fraud warning and credit freeze

A fraud warning indicates to the credit bureaus that your information has been stolen and that they should exist aware of the likelihood of unusual activeness in your name.

A credit freeze goes one step further, locking your credit accounts so that no ane can open a new business relationship. Note that if you open a legitimate new business relationship, you'll need to give the lender a heads upward that your credit file is frozen and that y'all need to unfreeze it before they can run a hard enquiry.

If you put a fraud alert on your credit file, you only need to contact one of the 3 major credit bureaus. But if y'all're placing a freeze on your file, you lot will demand to do information technology with each of the 3 credit reporting agencies — Equifax, Experian and TransUnion.

Are there whatever preventative measures I tin can take to reduce the likelihood of identity theft?

Fifty-fifty if you are not however the victim of identity theft, there are some things that you can do alee of time to reduce the likelihood of it occurring in the future:

Freezing your credit

As mentioned, a credit freeze prevents everyone (yourself included) from opening a new account. Since you know the freeze is in place, all yous need to practice is elevator information technology before applying for new credit.

Signing up for credit monitoring

Your credit card company or one of the credit bureaus may offer costless credit monitoring, peculiarly if yous have previously been the victim of identity theft or a data breach. If non, you can purchase the service. These services monitor your credit reports for suspicious activity and alert you when a new account is opened using your information.

Organizing your credit accounts

The better you manage your accounts, the easier information technology is to spot fraud in your credit study. Consider using a service like Tally to assistance pay downwardly your existing credit card debts and better manage your finances.

Stay vigilant to assist protect your personal information

If your Social Security number and personal information fall into the wrong hands, information technology could take you months to disengage the harm. Monitoring your credit helps foreclose the likelihood of this happening. The sooner y'all grab fraudulent activity, the easier it tin can be to reverse.

However, if you find that someone is using your SSN, it's possible to remove the activeness from your credit file. Filing reports with the proper government tin can help reverse the impact of someone stealing your personal information.

Diligence with your credit is a round-the-clock attempt. Tally^ane makes information technology easier for you to keep runway of your credit carte accounts and manage your monthly payments with a low-involvement line of credit.

¹ To get the benefits of a Tally line of credit, you must qualify for and accept a Tally line of credit. The APR (which is the same as your interest rate) volition exist between 7.90% and 29.99% per year and will be based on your credit history. The April will vary with the market based on the Prime number Charge per unit.

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Source: https://www.meettally.com/blog/how-do-i-see-if-someone-is-using-my-social-security-number

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