Protect your SS number

[JeanneAdil 6,606]

Immigration requires us to divulge everything about us that is so personal and for years we are told to keep personal information private

What happened  in April should alarm us all

A data breach in April 2024 compromised the personal information of millions of Americans, including Social Security numbers, names, addresses, email addresses, and phone numbers

 

I became aware that my SS info had been stolen when i received a letter from NJ office (in August) saying "thanks for creating an online account"

i hadn't so i  went to the local office to correct this .  the SS officer told me she blocked the account as i provided her with my full ID

 

But in September another NJ letter said, "We will be sending your SSA to your new bank .  Another trip to SS office where i talked to a different SS officer who said she blocked the online account and corrected my  banking info.  I also sent a letter to NJ to cover by butt

 

when your SS number is stolen, a person can use it to get a job, apply for credit, file a IRS return to get your refund

 

and the SS officer #2 said i was lucky as the thief could have changed my address online and i would never have gotten the letters to warn me 

 

SS Office has a phamlett to help u understand how to protect yourself from this ID type of theft. 

Stay safe all USC's and immigrants

[OldUser 7,237]

I'm really sorry about it!

 

SSN can be stolen in many ways, I'd think USCIS is the last place that could have exposed your SSN.

 

Most likely your data from a bank got stolen or any other application for consumer credit etc.

 

I hope you are aware, there are several banks and firms offering identity protection services which may be helpful.

 

Also, you can freeze your credit report with all three bureaus (Equifax, TransUnion and Experian). This is free and will prevent anybody opening new lines of credit under your SSN in most cases. When you apply for credit yourself, you can "thaw" your credit report. Don't confuse "freeze" (which is free) with "lock" which is a paid service by credit bureaus. Lock is more convinient, but freeze is more secure and it's free.

 

Good luck!

 

In summary: it's unlikely the leak was caused by governmental agency like IRS or USCIS. Your data should be safe with government. The leak is usually related to leaks by banks and more frequently - data brokers, different non-government agencies performing background checks for banks or employers.

You can use freeze and other tools provided by credit agencies to add layer of protection.

Edited December 19, 2024 by OldUser