If your Social Security number was exposed, review your credit reports, freeze your credit with all three nationwide credit bureaus, and monitor financial, tax, employment, and benefits records. If someone has already used your identity, report it at IdentityTheft.gov and follow the recovery plan for the specific misuse.
First, determine whether the SSN was exposed or misused
Exposure means another person may have obtained the number. Misuse means someone used it to open an account, get a loan, file taxes, obtain employment or benefits, or commit another form of identity theft.
Keep the breach notice and note what other information was involved, such as a date of birth, address, driverâs license, password, bank account, or health-insurance number. Combined records can support different kinds of fraud. Do not assume that changing a password addresses an exposed SSN.
Check your credit reports
Get reports from AnnualCreditReport.com, the federally authorized source for free credit reports from Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion. Review names, addresses, accounts, inquiries, and debts. Contact the listed company about anything you do not recognize and report identity theft at IdentityTheft.gov.
A credit report does not show every use of an SSN. Employment, tax, medical, benefits, bank-deposit, and criminal identity misuse may require separate checks.
Freeze your credit with all three bureaus
A credit freeze restricts access to your credit report and makes it harder for someone to open new credit in your name. It is free and remains until you lift it. Place a separate freeze with Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion; freezing one report does not freeze the other two.
Keep the account credentials or PINs needed to manage each freeze. You can temporarily lift a freeze when applying for credit, housing, insurance, or another service that needs the report, then restore it.
A fraud alert is different. It tells businesses to verify identity before opening new credit but does not block access to the report. An initial fraud alert is free and can be placed by contacting one bureau, which must notify the other two. A freeze provides stronger control over new-credit access.
Review Social Security and employment records
Create or sign in to a personal my Social Security account and review the earnings shown on your Social Security Statement. Report unfamiliar earnings to the Social Security Administration.
IdentityTheft.gov also points to E-Verifyâs Self Lock as an option to reduce employment-related misuse of an SSN. Understand how a lock affects employment verification before enabling it.
Watch for tax identity theft
Tax identity theft occurs when someone uses an SSN to file a return or claim a refund. Consider requesting a free IRS Identity Protection PIN, which helps prevent someone from filing a federal tax return under your SSN without the six-digit code. The IRS issues a new IP PIN each year.
File your legitimate return promptly and follow the instructions in any notice you verify through IRS.gov. Most people do not need Form 14039. Use it only when the IRS directs you to, when you cannot use its identity-verification service, or when you need to report possible tax-related identity theft that the IRS does not already have on file.
Do not trust a caller who claims that your SSN will be suspended or that money must be moved to resolve a tax or Social Security problem. The SSA states that it does not suspend SSNs or demand immediate payment by gift card, cryptocurrency, cash, or wire transfer.
Check financial, benefits, and medical activity
Review bank and card statements, ChexSystems or other deposit-account records when relevant, health-insurance explanations of benefits, and government benefit accounts. Missing mail, unfamiliar bills, collection notices, rejected benefits, or records of care you did not receive can indicate misuse outside the credit files.
Contact the affected organizationâs fraud department through a verified channel. Keep a log of calls, letters, report numbers, and documents sent.
Should you request a new Social Security number?
Usually, exposure alone is not enough. IdentityTheft.gov and the SSA explain that a new number is available only in limited circumstances, generally when there is evidence of ongoing misuse and resulting harm after reasonable efforts to resolve it. A new number may not eliminate records linked to the old one.
Follow SSA guidance rather than paying a company that promises to replace or âcleanâ an SSN.
Be careful with breach follow-up scams
Criminals may use real breach details to impersonate the affected company, a credit bureau, the FTC, IRS, SSA, or a recovery service. Reach each organization through a known government or company address. Do not pay an advance fee for guaranteed identity recovery and do not disclose verification codes.
Breach Report monitors registered email addresses for credentials found in known breach data. It does not determine whether an SSN was exposed, freeze credit, monitor government or financial records, or prevent identity misuse.
PSafeâs analysis of SSN exposure
An exposed SSN can affect more than credit. A credit freeze makes new-credit fraud harder, but it does not cover tax filings, employment records, benefits, or medical identity theft.
Monitor the records relevant to the information exposed in the breach, including credit, tax, earnings, benefits, health care, and deposit accounts.
Frequently asked questions about exposed Social Security numbers
Is a credit freeze free?
Yes. Federal law allows consumers to place and lift freezes without charge. Contact all three bureaus to freeze all three reports.
Does a freeze affect my credit score?
No. It restricts access to the report; it does not change the score. You may need to lift it temporarily for an application.
Should I pay for credit monitoring?
You can freeze and review credit without buying a monitoring subscription. A breached company may offer monitoring. Read the coverage, duration, and enrollment terms before accepting it.
Can someone take money from my current bank account with only an SSN?
An SSN alone is not normally sufficient, but identity thieves may combine it with other data. Review accounts and secure any financial credentials exposed in the same incident.
How long should I monitor?
An SSN is a long-lived identifier, so ongoing review is appropriate. A credit freeze can remain until you choose to lift it.
Should I carry my Social Security card?
Carry it only when you need it for a specific purpose. Store it securely and avoid sending copies unless the recipient and necessity are verified.