The 6 Steps to Reclaim Your Social Security Number if You Fall Victim to a Scam

Social Security scams are rife. They happen daily, targeting millions of people who receive and rely on Social Security benefits each month, and they take various forms. Many scams are designed to make the victim give up their Social Security number (SSN) so that the scammers can use it for fraudulent purposes, like identity theft or synthetic identity fraud.

If you think you’ve been scammed out of your SSN, here’s what to do next.

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Step 1. Report the Scam to the FTC

If you believe or know that you’ve been scammed, the most important rule to follow is always the same: don’t keep it to yourself or suffer alone, report the scam to the authorities as soon as possible, starting, in this case, with the FTC.

You can use the FTC’s official “Identity Theft” platform to do this. You’ll have to provide some personal information to confirm your identity and tell the FTC as much as possible about what happened. You’ll then receive your own customized recovery plan to follow, helping you reclaim your SSN and mitigate further risks.

Step 2. File a Police Report

The police should also be made aware of any scammer activity, especially if you know or suspect that your SSN has been used to commit fraud of some sort. You can call your local police department to file a report, as well as departments in other areas where you believe fraud took place.

Step 3. Submit an SSA Report

Another authority that needs to know about Social Security number theft is the Social Security Administration itself. You can give them a call at 1-800-269-0271 or go through the help and support pages on the SSA website to report the situation.

Step 4. Freeze Your Credit or Set Up Fraud Alerts

Freezing your credit basically means that your credit report becomes very difficult to access. So, if a scammer tries taking out a credit card in your name, the application will fail, as the lender or bank won’t be able to see your credit history. You can later unfreeze your credit once the situation is resolved, but you’ll need to do this with each separate credit bureau – Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion.

Alternatively, you can set up fraud alerts with the three big credit firms. This will essentially add an extra level of verification to any future credit applications made in your name. Specifically, banks or lenders will have to verify your identity in the future before approving any credit requests, so it makes it a lot harder for scammers to fraudulently use your SSN.

Step 5. Review Your Credit Report

With everyone alerted and precautions in place, you should keep an eye on your credit report and look for any signs of fraudulent activity. You’re entitled to view your report for free each year, and it’s a smart habit to get into.

Step 6. Contact Banks or Lenders Where Your SSN Was Used Fraudulently

If you spot any signs of fraudulent activity or are already aware of fraud taking place in your name or using your SSN, contact the banks or lenders in question. Let them know what has happened so they can implement their security practices to possibly reverse some of the damage done or cancel any pending applications.

How to Stay Safe from Social Security Scams

Keep your SSN to yourself – don’t give it away to strangers online or over the phone.
Learn about and be wary of phishing scams, and be cautious when clicking links in emails.
Get a My Social Security account with a strong password.
Set up an online IRS account with an IP PIN for extra protection.
Get in the habit of reviewing your credit report to spot discrepancies.