(NewsNation) — It’s important to keep your personal information under lock and key — evidenced by a recent hacking operation that compromised nearly three billion personal records, including social security numbers.
The theft happened in April, according to a class-action lawsuit filed in federal court in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. A hacking group known as USDoD reportedly stole the records from National Public Data, which offers personal information to employers, private investigators and others who do background checks.
Regularly checking your credit for suspicious loans or payments can help identify fraudulent activity, but the best defense is a good offense. Here’s how to stay proactive about protecting sensitive information and what to do if it’s it’s already been compromised.
Protect your SSN before it’s compromised
It’s best not to carry your social security card on you. Instead, keep it in a safe, secure place, and don’t give out your social security number freely.
Regularly changing your passwords, setting unique, hard-to-guess passwords for different accounts, and using multi-factor authentication can also reduce the risk of hackers accessing your information.
Even with those precautions in place, scammers may reach out pretending to be Social Security employees.
The Social Security Administration will never:
- Threaten you with arrest or legal action because you don’t make an immediate payment
- Suspend your social security number
- Request personal information or payment to activate a cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) or other benefit increase
- Pressure you to share personal information or take immediate action
- Ask you to pay with gift cards, prepaid debit cards, wire transfers, cryptocurrency or cash mail.
- Threaten to seize your bank account
- Offer to move your money
- Demand secrecy
- Message you directly on social media
If you receive a suspicious call, text or email regarding your social security information, hang up and file a report if necessary.
What do I do if my SSN was stolen?
There are several places to consider filing reports if someone has stolen your social security card or your number has been compromised.
Filing a police report and keeping a copy of your records can help if problems arise after your SSN is compromised.
You can visit IdentityTheft.gov or call 1-877IDTHEFT (4338) to make a report with the U.S. Federal Trade Commission and find information about recovery plans.
You may also want to file a report with the Internet Crime Complaint Center at ic3.gov. The center receives and refers cybercrime complaints to law enforcement and regulatory agencies.
Notifying one of the three major credit bureaus (Equifax, Experian and TransUnion) freezing your credit and setting up fraud alert can further protect your credit. Whichever company you contact must notify the others.
Finally, notifying the IRS can help prevent someone from using your social security number to file a tax return and try to get their hands on your refund.