How to know if Your SSN is active
Social security number is one of the social security details and it is regrettable that it too can be used for misrepresentation and stealing of a person’s identity. However, you can place a fraud alert in your credit reports, or freeze your credit file to prevent credit from being issued in your name, and it may also be wise to check if someone is using your SSN regularly.
Here are some steps you can take:
Examine Your Credit Records Examining the credit records helps one find among other methods if their SSN is being utilized or not. Federal law allows you to yearly get one credit report created by each of the three main credit reporting companies: Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion. Although you might get all three reports at once, you could have them distributed across the whole year.
Once you get your copy of the credit records, make sure you thoroughly review each account or inquiry indicated. This might mean that someone opened accounts under your name using your identity after the theft of it. This involves also looking for erroneous information such as residences you have never used or loans you have never sought. These ought should accomplish that premium. These ought to cause some questions. Furthermore crucial is challenging any fraud or improperly carried out transactions.
Since Social Security is among the most important initiatives the federal government does in America, it is vital to guarantee that the data in the statement is true. The Social Security Statement is another tool for learning if another person is already using the same SSN. This file provides a record of your reported income that has been credited to your SSN as well as future Social Security benefits estimates. It may help expose fictitious income from jobs you have never worked—part-time or even full-time.
To view any information regarding your Social Security benefits, you can go to the Social Security Administration’s site and sign up for a “My Social Security” account. You can check the records of your earnings as well as other self-service features through this convenient online gateway. Do this yearly and inform the SSA if you notice wages from a year or employer you never worked for.
Monitor Your Bank Accounts Another thing which you should be careful about is your bank statements. Large or frequent transactions that are not characteristic of the consumer or cards being used or unauthorized transactions such as withdraws or debits. Always scrutinize your monthly billing statements and other statements that show transactions you conducted. Also, monitor the creation of new accounts that you did not open and are linked to your credit report.
You should synchronize your account activities with your bank to sign up with an account alert to enable you to monitor your accounts in real time. Most banks in the present world have included the ability to send text or emails when a transaction above a given amount is made or when the account balance gets to a given value. It can assist you in identifying deviant account behaviors, which may be useful in various ways.
Check Health Insurance Records Medical identity theft is common whereby fraudsters become patients or use other people’s SSNs to access medical care, make false Medicare and Medicaid claims, or get prescription drugs. If you think that your medical identity has been stolen, you should contact your health insurer to check the records for claims of services that you never utilized.
You can also request for an ‘Ac. counting of Disclosures’ under HIPAA which lists all those to whom your health information has been released in the last six years. Check out for names of doctors or facilities you have no clue about. This implies that there is an individual with access to your records who could have stolen and used your personal health details.
Review Tax Documents Another type of identity theft is tax identity theft where the SSN is used to impersonate an individual in interacting with the Internal Revenue Service. To do this, request a tax transcript from the IRS that shows the tax returns and income as reported by the agency. Also, when criminals seek to commit identity theft, they sometimes use other people’s SSNs to file returns and get refunds. If you find your transcript has a return filed that you never filed or got wages that you never earned from an employer you never worked for then it needs to be looked into.
You can also request an IRS notification by mail each time a return with your SSN is filed. This could help one know immediately if an individual has submitted a fraudulent return in his/her tax. Just make sure to inform the IRS immediately so that they can prepare to investigate as soon as possible.
Hr Records of Earlier Employment
If the jobs that you might have done previously are no longer related to any contact then you should contact the HR department for help. They should be able to verify and ensure that you have provided the correct SSN, your employment dates, salary history, and other related work details. Any disparities that exist could be signs that someone is up to no good with your SSN hence warrant further investigation.
Order Identity Theft Reports
Finally, if, considering the signs of possible identity theft, your review is positive, you will need an identity theft report. This official report grants you the following rights whenever you are disputing one or several accounts that were fraudulently opened in your name.
This is the easiest method to get an identity theft report since one has to complete a complaint form with the FTC. In addition, you can file a report online through the FTC’s website indicating accounts and information that was used without your consent. The FTC ensures that all identity theft victims receive confirmation letters that most firms consider as identity theft reports.
If you think there is a risk of fraud and it is highly likely to be exposed, then check more often.
However, if you do find any such unsolicited activity or have been a victim of identity theft in the past then you may wish to check your information more often than once in a year. It is also important to monitor credit reports, bank statements, and tax reports often because it allows you to detect fraudulent actions before the losses become huge.
You should also look into enrolling yourself for credit monitoring to be regularly informed on new accounts opened or loan applications made with your SSN. It provides you with almost real-time alerts in case the crooks try to misuse your SSN again.
Fraud notification alerts should be placed to curb misuse.
Apart from performing record checks periodically, there are ways to lessen the impact of a denial of service by thieves in case they obtain your SSN. Another prudent action is to place fraud alerts on credit files that make the successful opening of new accounts nearly impossible.
When you receive an initial or an extended fraudulent credit alert, they have to confirm your identity before undertaking credit applications of any kind in your name. This can help prevent or at least discourage scammers from using your information. In case you have already become an identity theft victim, you can extend the fraud alert for seven years to add more layers of protection.
Opt out of Credit Reports to Shield
Freezing your credit reports is an even stronger medicine Because freezing your credit reports is often used as a preventive measure against identity theft, it is considered to be stronger medicine than other precautionary measures. A credit freeze prevents you from accessing your credit file, but anyone can open a new account if you do not unfreeze or thaw it. It has the effect of making credit application more difficult especially when one has to go through the process of freezing, but it gives a comfort knowing that no new fraudulent account will show up without the consent of the account holder.
Although a record check is still recommended, freezing credit prevents or reduces further loss and thwarts many identity theft tactics from getting off the ground. Freezes also do not stop the credit reporting agency from providing credit information to anyone regarding your credit line once the freeze is lifted or do not stop anyone from applying for credit by freezing the lines once you have applied for the freeze.
Report Suspicious Activity
If one finds out that someone has used or tried to use their SSN in any way, the person should immediately report the incident to the concerned authorities. Report missing or forged documents such as passports, social security cards, credit cards, and claim insurance for keeping records, and contact the IRS if you come across fake W-2 forms. It is also advisable to report any Social Security earnings oddities to the SSA itself.
Contact the creditors regarding any unknown accounts opened in your name to report the fraudulent transactions and deal with those accounts. Post the information you have and collaborate with the fraud departments of the companies you deal with to rectify your files. Try to keep records as proof that you have taken steps to resolve the identity theft issue.
It is also important you remain vigilant when monitoring any signs of misuse of your Social Security number. Regularly monitoring credit reports, account statements, earnings records, and more enables one to detect those vital signs of fraud and secure the data needed to apprehend the thieves if their SSN is compromised. By keeping a keen eye and putting certain preventive measures in place, you will be able to minimize possible losses or even stop fraud attempts before they commence.
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