social security number: Protecting Your Social Security Number
- 09/17/21 09:38 AM
Many people wonder if it is safe in certain situations to give out their Social Security number. We sure are asked for it a lot, but do you have to give it? When is it necessary? Here is some perspective:
One of the best rules you can live by is this: just because a person asks for your Social Security number, it doesn’t mean you have to give it. But also remember there are situations where you will not be provided various services unless you get it out.
You might feel that you have to, though, and freely give it. This could … (8 comments)
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social security number: What Happens if Your Social Security Number Gets Stolen?
- 09/09/20 05:38 AM
It might be surprising to know that when Social Security numbers were first given out in the 1930s, that they were not used as a form of identification. However, whether you know it or not, most of us use our SSN every day, from visiting our doctor’s office to doing banking transactions. Your Social Security number is likely being accessed by humans and computers on a daily basis.
Your Social Security number is a form of verification, authentication, and it is even used as a password. Simply having it, simply knowing it, and entering it, verifies and authenticates its holder. However, it … (14 comments)
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social security number: Protect Your Identity From Thieves
- 04/15/20 06:36 AM
There are tried and true ways to protect yourself from identity theft—ways that you may not have even considered.
Evaluate your passwords. Does every online account have a different password or are you using the same one for multiple accounts? Fix this problem immediately by investing in a password manager software. Avoid using actual words or names, or keyboard sequences. Password managers facilitate the password creation process.
Never post anything personal on social media.This includes your pet’s name, name of your kids’ school or teacher, where you’re going on vacation, the town your parents live in, etc.
Ignore e-mails whose senders you don’t know. … (4 comments)
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social security number: It’s Tax Time: Play it Safe or Lose Your Identity
- 03/12/20 05:33 AM
Once again, tax time has rolled around, and though you technically have until April 15th, it’s always best to file a bit earlier…especially if you want to avoid setting yourself up for ID theft.
How Could Filing Taxes Compromise Your Identity?
Here’s how you could become a victim of ID theft just by filing your taxes: the first method is that a thief uses your Social Security number to file taxes, and then they steal your refund. The second method that they use is they take your Social Security number, get a job while using your Social Security number, and then their employer … (7 comments)
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social security number: Your Uber Driver May be a Criminal
- 01/16/20 05:10 AM
Do you Uber? If you do, you probably feel pretty safe getting into the car of a stranger. However, you might not be as safe as you think.
Most people take for granted that Uber does background checks on its drivers, but there are actually a number of shady drivers who have recently been accused of crime, and it’s definitely not the first time they have had run ins with law enforcement. Some of these people are accused of committing crimes against their passengers, and that’s where things really get scary.
CNN recently took a look at both Uber and Lyft and found … (75 comments)
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social security number: Two Common Government Employee Impersonation Scams: What to Watch For
- 08/27/19 07:22 AM
One of the biggest threats that taxpayers are facing these days is an aggressive scam where criminals call victims and pretend to be IRS agents. The goal? To steal money.
All year but especially during tax filing season, the IRS will see a big surge in the number of scam calls, which tell victims that they will be arrested, deported, or have their driver’s license revoked if they don’t pay a fake tax bill.
How the Scams Work
These scammers make calls to people and claim to be from the IRS. They inform the victim that they have an unpaid tax bill, that must … (2 comments)
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social security number: Facebook Wants my Social Security Number!
- 06/06/19 08:23 AM
WTH Facebook? Generally, I don’t have a problem giving out my SSN. That might seem contrary to the advice I give, but frankly, our SSNs are everywhere and if my insurance company needs it, I’ll generally just question them on it, maybe resist a bit, and if they insist, and I need that insurance policy, I’ll cough it up.
My identity in regards to “new account fraud” is protected via a credit freeze and I also have identity theft protection in place. So between the two, I’m pretty locked down. This is the advice I give everyone. So I’m generally not alarmed … (25 comments)
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social security number: New Phone Scam Scares with Social Security Sham
- 04/30/19 09:22 AM
We all get scam phone calls, but the newest one is meant to scare. When you pick up the phone, you get a message that your Social Security number is suspended due to suspicious activity, and then prompts the victim to speak with an agent to get help.
The FTC makes something very clear: your Social Security number cannot be suspended for any reason, so any call that states your SSN is under suspension is a scam. What they are really trying to do is to trick you into giving them your actual Social Security number along with information such as your … (5 comments)
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social security number: How to Protect You Frequent Flier Miles NOW
- 11/27/18 06:46 AM
Social Security numbers and credit card numbers are not the only types of data that hackers are after. Now, they are looking at frequent flyer accounts, and they are stealing reward miles, and then selling them online.
How do Hackers Steal Frequent Flyer Miles?
As with other types of ID theft, hackers use info that they have illegally obtained to access frequent flyer accounts. With more data breaches happening than ever before, hundreds of millions of records are exposed, and thus, hackers have great access to the personal info they need to get into these accounts.
What do Hackers Do with Frequent Flyer Miles?
It … (2 comments)
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social security number: Beware of the Social Security Administration Employee Scam
- 09/27/18 07:22 AM
There is a new Social Security scam in the news, and you should definitely know about it. The Acting Inspector General of Social Security, released a statement that warns people of this new scheme. Basically, scammers are impersonating Social Security Administration employees.
The scam started out fairly small and localized, but now, people from across the country are reporting that they are getting calls from people stating that they are from the Social Security Administration. The caller attempts to get personal information from the person they call including address and banking information.
Here’s How the Scam Works
Almost all of these calls are coming … (22 comments)
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social security number: A “Credit Profile Number” is a fake SSN, and it Works
- 09/11/18 07:25 AM
Cyber criminals are constantly trying to stay one step ahead of the good guys, and there is now another scam out there that you should know about: synthetic identity theft. Basically, the criminals take information from someone, and then make up the rest. They also often use fake Social Security numbers, called CPNs, or “credit profile numbers,” or names.
This type of identity theft shows us that our credit system is more vulnerable than we might think. Basically, it is easy to create a credit file on these identities, and once they have that, they can get a credit card or loan.
Of … (5 comments)
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social security number: Mobile Phone Numbers Are as Sensitive as Your Social Security Number
- 04/19/18 06:06 AM
All of us have cell phones these days, and if you are like the vast majority of the population, you access everything from social media to banking information right from your mobile phone. However, if you do this, which everyone does, you are putting yourself in the position to get hacked. With only your mobile phone number and a couple other pieces of information, a hacker can get into these accounts and your life could drastically change.
How does this work? If a hacker already has your mobile phone number, they can get other information, such as you address, birthday, or even … (65 comments)
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social security number: Never put these Docs in your Wallet
- 05/16/16 11:47 PM
Yes, believe it or not, you CAN get by in life with a wallet that just has a little cash, a store card or two, one to two credit cards and your ID. Unless you absolutely need your insurance card or Social Security card, leave those items at home.
For years now, wallets have been on the market that you can stuff everything into, save for the kitchen sink. This doesn’t mean you must carry a ridiculous bulging wallet everywhere you go.
Now you may not mind having to dig through your wallet for five minutes to retrieve things because there’s so much … (15 comments)
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social security number: Stolen Social Security number? Don’t Worry!
- 03/16/15 11:25 PM
Just when you think it was safe to believe your Social Security number can’t get stolen…news breaks of the Anthem data breach. Over 80,000,000 patient records were compromised, including SSNs and home addresses. Like a meteor striking the earth, a disastrous ripple effect is underway, with patients getting hit up with phishing e-mails.
If you ever suspect your SSN has been stolen, some suggest contacting the IRS and Social Security Administration and notify them of your situation. The thief can do bad things with your number, but if you contact these agencies, can you really protect yourself from that? I’m not … (4 comments)
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social security number: SSN and Its Afterlife
- 01/14/15 08:58 PM
What’s one billion? That’s about the number of possible permutations of the Social Security number. Which begs the question: What happens to an SSN when someone kicks the bucket?
Currently, SSN’s are never repeated when they’re issued by the Social Security Administration. As of June 2011, the SSA made the issuance entirely random (previously, for example, the first three numbers were determined by place of birth).
With nearly a billion permutations, there’s no point in any number surviving the holder’s death and being reissued. Now in theory, the combinations will eventually run out, because eventually, a billion people will have … (0 comments)
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social security number: Background Checks aren’t as easy as you'd think
- 12/28/14 09:41 PM
With seemingly more and more people being harassed, stalked and getting their identities stolen, the rate of background check requests (e.g., a small business owner hiring a private investigator) has increased quite a bit.
The background check is no longer some snoopy kind of thing for extra-curious people; it’s become a necessary tool in a world fraught with frivolous lawsuits but also cybercrime and identity theft. For example, if the “furnace guy” rapes and murders the homeowner, his company would be held accountable. We hear of cases like this all the time—another example would be a bus driver fondling a … (1 comments)
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Many people wonder if it is safe in certain situations to give out their Social Security number. We sure are asked for it a lot, but do you have to give it? When is it necessary? Here is some perspective: 
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