If someone uses your Social Security number to get a job

Last month, I wrote about the problem of illegal immigrants using stolen Social Security numbers to get jobs and how this could create havoc with your own Social Security account if you are a victim. I suggested that you review your Social Security Statement regularly (www.ssa.gov/mystatement) and make sure the numbers match what you know your earnings to be.

While this seems logical, it’s not a guaranteed way to be sure your Social Security number has been stolen and is being used for an illegal to gain employment. It’s possible that not all of those earnings will get reported on your account. Even so, checking your Social Security Statement each year is a good idea because it will help you identify and correct problems quickly. Consider how challenging it would be to correct your income records from 10 or 15 years ago.

When it comes to identity theft, there is no single thing you can do to protect yourself—you need to use a variety of strategies that include keeping your personal information private and monitoring your records and credit reports.

Jackie

Pretexting: another angle on identity theft

Have you ever participated in a telephone survey? In most cases, it was probably a legitimate poll, but fraudsters have discovered this as an identity theft technique.

It’s called pretexting. A pretexter uses false pretenses to trick you into revealing personal information, such as financial data (bank, credit card, investment account information), your Social Security number, your various passwords, and anything else they might be able to use to commit fraud. In addition to claiming to be conducting a survey, pretexters have been known to say they represent government agencies, banks, law enforcement agencies, and more.

The pretexter’s call may seem harmless enough, especially in the beginning. Remember, these are con artists, and they know they need you to relax and drop your guard so you’ll give them what they want.

Sometimes the pretexter is also the person who will commit the identity theft or fraud. Other times, the pretexter sells the information to private investigators or to scammers.

The concept isn’t new but, as with so many other scams, the criminals are getting increasingly sophisticated and doing far more damage.

How can you protect yourself?

Be wary of any unsolicited call asking you for information. Participate in phone surveys if you want to, but consider your answers carefully. For example, if the survey is about pets, it’s reasonable to expect questions about the number and breed of your animals, but there’s no reason for a survey company to need to know your pets’ names—especially since a lot of people use their pets’ names as passwords. The same thing applies to children: number and age, fine; names, no. And speaking of passwords, don’t use the names of your immediate family and/or pets as passwords.

If the caller wants to “verify” account numbers or other information, do not volunteer and details he does not already have. For example, if the caller says, “I show your account number as 12345,” your response should simply be, “No, that’s not accurate.” But do not offer the correct number. And never give the name of your bank, stock brokerage, or other financial services provider.

Remember that criminals know how to do things like spoof Caller ID – so you see a display with a phone number and name of a legitimate business, but that’s not really where the call is coming from.

Never totally relax when you are talking with someone you don’t know on a call you did not initiate. And before you answer any question, ask yourself this: Does this person really need to know this and can he or she use the information to commit fraud or steal from me?

Jackie

Identity theft: when someone uses your identity to get a job

When you think about identity theft, you usually think of thieves using your personal financial information to steal from you or others by getting credit in your name. There’s another aspect of identity theft that is a growing problem.

Illegal immigrants often buy a stolen Social Security number to that they can get jobs. Because they’re not applying for credit, nothing will show up on your credit report, and the theft of your information may not be uncovered for years.

But if someone is working under your SSN, it can create havoc with your own income taxes and Social Security payments and benefits. I saw a news story recently about a woman who spent years trying to get straight with the IRS and prove to them that she really had been a stay-at-home mom and had not earned any money for years, even though a number of illegal immigrants had been working using her identity.

According to an article in the New York Times, about 7 million illegal immigrants are working under stolen SSNs. Many of these stolen SSNs belong to children, who might not learn of the fraud until they start working. It doesn’t matter how you feel about immigration issues, if you are a victim of this type of ID theft, you could spend thousands of hours and a lot of money getting it straightened out.

What can you do? If you are 25 or older, the Social Security Administration will send you an annual statement of your earnings and benefits eligibility. Take the time to review this statement and make sure it matches your own records. You can also request a statement from Social Security at any time by going to www.ssa.gov. If you have children, review their accounts as well as your own, and do it on a regular schedule.

Jackie