A Social security number (SSN) is the most important identifying medium individuals have. From it, and identity thief can gather other information, such as one’s date of birth or full given name. The next thing one knows, he’s getting demands for payment on merchandise he didn’t buy.
Pittsfield, MA -- (SBWIRE) -- 02/13/2013 -- Legal-yogi.com would like to offer some tips about Social Security identity theft protection, including:
- Safeguarding a SSN
- Keeping a SSN Private
- Being Computer Wise
- Hiring an Identity Theft Protection Company
Securing the Social Security Number
Storing Social Security cards in a lockbox at home is the most vital piece of Social Security identity theft protection. It seems like a simple concept, yet many people don’t do it. Any time that card is left outside of a safe, it becomes more likely that it will be stolen by someone. Once an ID thief has that number, he can go on a gigantic spending spree or open up new credit in the name of the person on the card. Keep it locked up to avoid this.
No Sharing
A key step in Social Security ID theft protection is never, ever share the SSN with anyone. This means family members and close friends, despite the level of trust one has with them. The people who most often steal someone else’s SSN are parents. Hard to believe, isn’t it? Parents often feel that a child’s SSN doesn’t belong to the child until he is old enough to work, so they use it for their own purposes until that time. Family and friends use the same reasoning.
Be Computer Conscious
The Internet is a terrific source of all sorts of information – including a person’s SSN if he isn’t smart about it. Social Security identity theft protection means being wise about what sort of personal data gets into cyber space. A person should never provide personal details about themselves on a social networking site. He should also ascertain that the site he is working with is secure. There’s usually a little lock icon in the lower right corner of the screen that indicates this.
Employing Professionals
Identity theft protection companies abound on the Internet, in the Yellow Pages, and on the television. These companies can be helpful in Social Security ID theft protection. However, there is really nothing they can do that an individual cannot do himself. It is completely at the discretion of the person as to whether or not he wishes to hire one of the businesses.
People who are looking to protect social security against identity theft can request with Legal-yogi
About Legal-yogi
Legal-yogi.com, a caring consumer resource website located in Pittsfield, Massachusetts, has more than 260,000 financial and legal specialists behind it who are ready and willing to answer any questions a person has. For a preliminary free conference, call 800-397-1755.