It's Worth Repeating: Social Security Cards and Wallets DO NOT Mix

I give over one hundred identity theft seminars every year and at each seminar, at least one of the attendees will admit to carrying around their Social Security card in their wallet or purse.

In this day and age, and with all we know about identity theft, I'm shocked that some people still carry their social security card on them. Most of the guilty parties say that they realize it's a potential problem, but they have never gotten around to taking the card out. Others have said that they just didn't know it was dangerous.

How your Social Security number can be used to steal your identity...

There are many pieces of information that, if stolen, can lead to identity theft or, at the very least, identity fraud. They can include a bank or credit card number, a home address, family names, login and password info and so on. But the holy grail of stolen information is your Social Security number (SSN). And it can be exposed in so many different ways, it can make your head spin!

For example, my doctor has a hard copy of my SSN in the files in his office. That’s right. Our archaic healthcare and insurance system still uses Social Security numbers as the primary way to identify patients. But does my doctor take any precautions to prevent identity theft? I’m pretty sure that his office has no alarm system and no security guards. He also has a high staff turnover and probably doesn’t conduct criminal background checks on his employees. And like most medical practices, his files are stored wall-to-wall in plain sight of patients and with no protection other than a low countertop. So there’s a much greater risk that my Social Security number will be misused in his office than on my home computer. But because all medical offices work that way, there’s not much I can do.

And that’s the problem. So many different organizations have a copy of your Social Security number, there’s no way of guaranteeing that it’s safe in their hands. Your Social Security number can also just as easily disappear from your own workplace, and often the biggest thieves of Social Security numbers are co-workers and other insiders. And once it’s in the wrong hands, your SSN can really come back to haunt you.

Here are some examples of how your SSN can be misused and lead to identity theft fraud:

• Illegal Immigrants can buy your SSN so they can get jobs and report income (or not report income) to the IRS in your name creating a duplicate tax return
• A thief\illegal can open new credit accounts.
• Your SSN can be used to open a bank account and obtain an overdraft or loan.
• It can be used to open a utility account. Many identity thieves will use SSNs they stole themselves, or purchased from someone else, to rent an apartment, open a utility or telephone account, or rent a car (and not return it).
• Crooks\illegals with bad histories can easily hide their past by using a stolen Social Security number when applying for a new job.
• Thieves\illegals have been known to give stolen Social Security numbers when arrested, often leaving their victims with a criminal record that’s very difficult and costly to erase.
• And some thieves have even been known to go bankrupt using a stolen Social Security number, either to avoid having a bankruptcy on their own record, or as a last twist of the knife against the real owner of the SSN.

So keep a close eye on your Social Security number and a closer eye on your credit through credit monitoring so you’ll know if someone does try to use it.

If you still have your social security card in your purse or wallet, take it out immediately!

Store the social security card in a safe deposit box or a secure place.