Safety of your personal data is one of the most important things in this digital age especially following the data breach that happened at the SSA. One of the most private pieces of information you may have is, therefore, your Social Security number. If you think someone may have compromised or hacked your SSN, it is critical to act fast. This article contains ways through which you can know if your SSN has been hacked and how you can consequently protect yourself.
Signs your Social Security number may be compromised
Being observant of signs of SSN theft are the very first step in protection from identity theft. Here are a few of the critical indicators that your SSN has been compromised:
- Unrecognized financial activity: If you notice unfamiliar transactions on your bank or credit card statements, it is probably someone who opened your account or made purchases using your SSN.
- Calls from collection agencies: Receiving calls or letters from collection agencies about debts you never incurred is one of the best indicators that your information has been misused.
- Reduced benefits: If you discover that your Social Security benefits are lowered or depleted without a reason, this may indicate that someone else with your SSN is collecting them.
- Red-flagged tax documents: Beware of receiving tax documents related to income you did not earn. It simply means that someone has probably been filing fraudulent tax returns using your SSN.
- Mismatch on the credit report: Periodically, check through your credit report, and you will know the accounts and inquiries on your credit file that you are not aware of. They may be indicative of identity theft.
Checking breaches with Pentester
In case of any potential breach of your SSN, tools are available from cybersecurity companies like Pentester. One such tool is that pentester developed, letting people know whether their data has been breached. Here is how to do it:
- Visit the Website of Pentester: Go to the website of Pentester and look for their data breaches checking tool. With Pentester you can even check for leaked credentials without a credit card.
- Enter Your Information: Do fill in details, such as name and SSN, within the tool to check for a match within its database.
- Get the Results: The tool will inform you of whether your SSN has appeared in known breaches. If yours is compromised, it usually tells you what type of data was exposed.
- Follow Recommended Actions: If your SSN was included in a breach, follow the recommended identity protection steps, such as credit freezes or fraud alerts.
How to protect yourself if your SSN has been stolen
If you’ve confirmed that your SSN has been compromised, here’s how you act as soon as possible:
- Place a fraud alert: You should call one of the three major credit bureaus and request that a fraud alert be placed on your credit report. This will put additional burden on the attempts of the identity thief in opening accounts in your name.
- Freeze your credit: You can consider freezing your credit, where any creditor is not allowed to view your credit report without consent. Hence, new accounts would not be opened in your name.
- File a report with the FTC: Go to IdentityTheft.gov to report the theft and get a recovery plan that’s personalized to your situation.
- Monitor your accounts: Monitor your financial accounts and credit reports closely for any suspicious activity. You are entitled to one free credit report per year from each of the major credit bureaus.
- Contact the Social Security Administration: If you suspect your SSN is being used to commit fraud, you can contact the Social Security Administration for advice concerning your benefits and to know what is happening.
One has to be proactive regarding SSN in this cyber-based environment. If you take notice of the signs of SSN theft, you can make proper action toward the protection of your identity by using tools such as those offered by Pentester. In case you have reason to believe that your SSN has been exposed, care should be done promptly in securing your personal details, mitigating as much of the damage as possible. This new age of digits is becoming more and more complicated by the day, so keeping tabs on one’s identity would require vigilance and constant monitoring.
