Yes, someone can absolutely use your Social Security Number (SSN) for identity theft to open credit, file fraudulent tax returns, get a job, or even steal government benefits, damaging your credit and finances, so it's crucial to protect it by monitoring credit reports, checking your SSN work history, and considering tools like the IRS IP PIN or E-Verify Self Lock.
An identity thief could try to use your Social Security number to do things like open accounts, take out a loan, file taxes, or get a job.
If someone uses your SSN to obtain credit, loans, telephone accounts, or other goods and services, contact the Federal Trade Commission (FTC). The FTC collects complaints about identity theft from those whose identities have been stolen and provides resources for those whose SSN may have been exposed in a data breach.
How identity theft happens
PRACTICES TO AVOID
Clues That Someone Has Stolen Your Information
Merchants refuse your checks. Debt collectors call you about debts that aren't yours. You find unfamiliar accounts or charges on your credit report. Medical providers bill you for services you didn't use.
Yes, you can change your Social Security number (SSN), but only in specific, serious situations like being a victim of identity theft with ongoing issues, harassment, abuse (including domestic violence), or for certain religious/cultural reasons, requiring an in-person application at a Social Security office with extensive documentation proving your need and identity. Simply losing your card or wanting a different number isn't usually enough; you need to demonstrate ongoing harm or threat that the original number can't resolve, as your old and new numbers remain linked to your earnings record.
With a stolen SSN, criminals can open new lines of credit, file taxes under your name, or even fraudulently apply for your government benefits. Find out how to protect your SSN from theft, and what to do if it is stolen.
Even children often have their Social Security number stolen, and credit monitoring services rarely help victims much. According to statistics provided to NBC News by the nonprofit Identity Theft Resource Center, there were 1,857 new data breaches in 2024 that included Americans' Social Security numbers.
Employment identity theft is a type of identity theft that occurs when someone steals your Social Security number (SSN) and other personally identifiable information to apply for a job in your name. It usually happens when the fraudulent applicant has been disqualified for work in some way.
An extended fraud alert can be placed if you are a victim of fraud or identity theft. It requires a copy of a valid police or law enforcement agency report, or a Federal Trade Commission Identity Theft Report, and lasts for 7 years.
Yes, you can "pause" or voluntarily suspend your Social Security retirement benefits after you reach your Full Retirement Age (FRA) up to age 70, allowing them to grow by about 8% annually with Delayed Retirement Credits, and then restart them later for a larger monthly payment; the process involves contacting the SSA to suspend payments, which stops benefits for you and dependents (except divorced spouses) and requires separate payment for Medicare premiums.
Signs of identity theft
For example, if a customer offers a unique identifier such as a social security number and the SSN is already used by another customer, it is potentially a strong red flag or indication of possible identity theft or if a personal document looks fake, it also may represent a potential identity theft red flag.
If your identity was stolen:
There's no cost to place or lift a credit freeze, and it doesn't affect your credit score. You don't have to wait for your Social Security number or other information to be exposed in a data breach or misused by an identity thief to get a credit freeze.