Nowadays, it can be very easy to become a victim of identity theft. With more information readily available on various databases, it can be worrisome knowing that your data can be compromised at any time. Unfortunately, even Government databases have had unauthorized access in recent times. Because of this, you want to keep a close eye on your social security number and your credit to ensure that you do not become a victim of identity theft. In this article, we will be going over some of the different ways you might be able to keep an eye on your credit and some of the things that you need to do if you notice that your social security number has been compromised.
How Can Someone Steal Your Social Security Number?
There are plenty of ways that you can have your social security number stolen or improperly assessed. Some of the different ways are by stealing it from an online database, a malware attack on your computer, by posing as someone that you would normally give your social security number to, and even by physically stealing your wallet or even going through your trash. There are plenty of different ways that someone can gain access to your social security number. Because of this, you want to be sure that you are protecting your social security number as best possible to avoid this from happening.
How To Monitor Misuse Of Your Social Security Number?
1. Monitor Your Credit Reports
One of the most important things that you can do to avoid becoming a big victim of the improper use of your social security number would be to properly monitor your credit reports. You want to monitor everything from your credit. That way, you will be able to tell whether or not someone is actively using your social security number to try to pose as you to open new accounts. This is a great way to really ensure that no one is actively using your social security number other than yourself. Because you will be able to see exactly what accounts you have open and everything, you will be able to figure out whether or not someone is improperly using your social security number. You can do this by getting free credit reports, requesting reports from different agencies on a yearly basis, and more.
2. Sign Up For Identity Protection
Another big thing that you are going to be able to do to help prevent yourself from becoming a victim is by signing up for identity protection. By signing up for various different kinds of identity protection services, you will be able to get complete security protection. These services are typically going to allow you to figure out whether or not someone is improperly using your social security number because they will alert you to any new sign-ups using your social security number. They will be able to tell you whether or not there have been new accounts opened using your number which is going to allow you to actively monitor your new account openings.
3. Freeze Your Credit
Another great thing that you can do to prevent unauthorized access to your social security number would be to simply freeze your credit. By freezing your credit with all three bureaus, you are going to be able to have complete control over any accounts that you open. Because you won’t be able to open your account unless you have your pin, it is going to make it virtually impossible for someone to steal your identity because they will require a security pin unlock along with your social security number. Therefore, it essentially adds another layer of protection on top of your social.
Now that we have gone over some of the different things that you are going to want to do in order to protect yourself, we will discuss some of the things that you should do if you are a victim of social security misuse.
Things To Do:
1. Report Identity Theft
The most important thing that you are going to want to do from the start is to report the identity theft to the various Government agencies. You want to not only report it to the Federal Trade Commission’s website directly, but you also want to file a police report with your local jurisdiction. This alone is going to allow you to effectively have the crime investigated and it can help you recover from it because the document will help you establish that it was stolen from that point on.
2. Request a Freeze
Another big thing that you are going to want to do is have your credit immediate frozen from all three major consumer credit bureaus. You want to have your credit frozen so that no one is going to be able to open any more credit lines without proper authorization. This is a very important step that you are going to want to take to prevent further misuse. This is going to make it impossible for anyone to improperly access your social security number and open accounts without your permission. While it is not going to help to do it after the fact, it can help prevent further issues.
3. Contact Fraud Department Of Various Companies
Once that is done, you are going to want to contact any fraud department of various companies where you suspect your social security number was improper assessed and used. This is going to allow you to have these documents and they will be able to begin internal investigations.
Overall, there is a lot that you are going to want to keep an eye on when it comes to keeping your social security number safe. By following the tips above, you should be able to effectively minimize the damages that occur if you were to get your social security card stolen. Also, by following the tips, you should be able to prevent unauthorized access and use of your social security number especially now that freezing your credit can be done for free.
