If you watch the news, listen to the radio or read a
newspaper, magazine or the Internet, then you probably are aware that identity theft is one of the
fastest-growing crimes in America. While recovering from an act of identity
theft can be difficult, there are steps you can take to help protect yourself
from identity thieves.
Identity theft often starts with a Social Security Number, or SSN. Once a
thief has a valid number, he or she can open or reactivate credit card accounts
in your name, apply for Federal or state benefits or make changes in your
financial accounts. That nine-digit SSN is a valuable first step in assuming
someone's identity. And it is also why protecting your SSN is the first step in
preventing identity theft.
Safeguard your SSN. You should treat your Social Security Number as
confidential information and avoid giving it out unnecessarily. Keep your Social
Security card in a safe place with your other important personal papers. Do not
carry it with you unless you need to show it to an employer or service provider.
The fewer people with access to your number, the safer you are.
Shred unneeded documents. Don't just throw away paperwork that includes your
name, Social Security number or other personal information on it - shred it.
When you get junk mail, shred it before you toss it. If you don't have a
shredder, try ripping your paperwork several times and placing half of each
document in different trash bags. If you don't, it could become free credit for
someone else.
Monitor your credit records. Each of the major credit reporting services are
now required by law to provide you with a free credit report each year upon
request. This is a convenient way to see if anyone other than yourself or other
authorized persons are using your credit. You can contact Equifax, Experian and
Transunion and ask for your free reports. Just go to the Web site set up by the
three credit agencies, www.annualcreditreport.com/cra/index.jsp,
to request a free credit report.
Social Security also wants you to know that we work hard to protect your
number from misuse. For example, we require and carefully inspect proof of
identity from people who apply to replace lost or stolen Social Security cards,
or who request corrected cards. One reason we do this is to prevent people from
fraudulently obtaining Social Security numbers to establish false identities. We
maintain the privacy of Social Security records unless a law requires us to
disclose information to another government agency or if your information is
needed to conduct Social Security or other government health or welfare program
business.
For more information on identity theft and safeguarding your Social Security
number, visit our online leaflet at www.socialsecurity.gov/pubs/10064.html
. Or you can call us at 1-800-772-1213 (TTY 1-800-325-0778) and ask for the
leaflet entitled Identity Theft And Your Social Security Number.
If you think that you have been a victim of identity theft, you should
contact the Federal Trade Commission at:
_ Internet - www.consumer.gov/idtheft or
_ Telephone - 1-877-IDTHEFT (1-877-438-4338; TTY - 202-326-2502)
Mr. Brown is District Manager of the Social Security Administration's
Downtown New York Office. | 
