What to Do If Your Social Security Number Is Stolen

A Social Security Number (SSN) is probably the most important piece of government-issued ID that a US citizen can have. This is certainly the most valuable identification identities thieves can get, especially when combined with the name and address of the wearer. Even a valid Social Security number can be sold to undocumented workers or to persons trying to hide their identity


A stolen SSN allows the thief or the person you sell to do everything a legitimate SSN owner can do, and more. By adopting the name and social security number of a real person, a thief can steal property and money from that person. If the name and social security number of a victim of identity theft are used by criminals, the victim will be picked up by the police.

"You can close a credit card if it's compromised," said Adam Dolby, vice president of business development at Encap Security, based in Oslo, Norway, specializing in banking and retail security. "But the problem is that you can not close your social security number."

If you discover that your Social Security number has been stolen, you must take several steps immediately.

- First contact one of the three major credit bureaus, Equifax, TransUnion or Experian, to create a fraud alert for your credit report. To speak with Equifax, call 1-888-766-0008 or visit this website. To contact Experian, call 1-888-397-3742 or go here. For TransUnion the phone number is 1-800-680-7289 and the link is here. The agency with which you set a fraud alert contacts the other two. Renew the fraud alert every 90 days (it's free) until you're satisfied with the case; It could take years. Just contact the Social Security Administration for a replacement card or replacement number (see below).

- Tell each of the three agencies that your social security number has been stolen. They will give you free copies of your current credit reports. Review these reports for unknown accounts and unknown company inquiries.

- Report the theft of Social Security Number to the IRS at http://www.irs.gov/uac/Identity-Protection. You can also call 1-800-908-4490. This prevents tax evaders from filing tax returns on their behalf and recovering their tax refunds.

- Report identity theft to the Federal Trade Commission at http://www.idtheft.gov. You can also call 1-877-IDTHEFT.

- Submit an identity theft report to your local police. The police report will help you erase your records and your name, and it is necessary if you wish to apply for a new Social Security number.

- Keep records, log in, report and close all fraudulent accounts by contacting companies that have accounts and credit bureaus. This will keep your loan as clean as possible. The only way to get a new Social Security number from the government is to prove beyond doubt that someone has used the old number, and fraudulent account files can provide that proof.

- Report the theft of your Social Security number to the Cybercrime Complaints Center at http://www.ic3.gov/. The report is distributed to the competent federal, state and local authorities.

The Federal Trade Commission provides a good source of what to do in the event of identity theft at http://www.consumer.ftc.gov/features/feature-0014-identity-theft.

Yes, and how do I get a new Social Security number?
Many stolen Social Security numbers are simply used to get work done without affecting the legitimate NHS owners. But others are used to cheat banks, retailers, the IRS, and other government agencies that could ruin your credit.

If you have had several years of theft of your social security number and you do not reduce your theft related problems, you can apply for a new social security number. But before you take this step, you have to pay attention to some things.

- Getting a new Social Security number is not easy. You need to show that theft your social security number has caused serious problems in the form of refusal of mortgages, problems with the police or the IRS or bad credit that cannot be cleaned.

- A new Social Security number does not mean that the identity theft problem will disappear. The old number remains valid; it will continue to monitor for future events and authorities or businesses will continue to link to it.

- A new Social Security number has a completely empty credit history. First credit will be tough for a few years if you link it to your previous number and contaminated.

- It's up to the Social Security Administration to decide if you can get a new number. If the agency does not think they need it, they will not get it.

If you decide to get a new Social Security number, the first step is as simple as completing a standard VMS application. You enter the previous number in this one. But be prepared to defend your case and have complete documentation to prove it.


Keep in mind that the previous social security number never disappears completely, even if it remains inactive. Social security administration never invalidates an SSN once it has been issued.