What information can be accessed with a Social Security number?

Once someone has your Social Security number, they can essentially become you. They may be able to collect tax refunds, collect benefits and income, commit crimes, make purchases, set up phone numbers and websites, establish residences, and use health insurance—all in your name.

How can I check to see if someone used my Social Security number?

at 1-877-IDTHEFT (1-877-438-4338) or go to: www.identitytheft.gov/ To order a copy of your Social Security Administration earnings and benefits statement, or to check whether someone has used your Social Security number to get a job or to avoid paying taxes, visit www.socialsecurity.gov/statement/.

Can you tell how old someone is from their Social Security number?

The Serial Number, itself, doesn’t say anything about your location or age that the Group Number and Area Number don’t already say, although since they are assigned consecutively, they could potentially reveal your relative age within a Group and an Area.

Can two people have the same Social Security number?

The primary cause of two people having the same social-security number is someone using a number that is not theirs—either identity theft or a typographical error. SSA states that it will issue a new number if it is assigned to more than one person (implying this can happen).

Which is the most misused social security number?

Social Security Numbers. This is an archival or historical document and may not reflect current policies or procedures. The most misused SSN of all time was (078-05-1120). In 1938, wallet manufacturer the E. H. Ferree company in Lockport, New York decided to promote its product by showing how a Social Security card would fit into its wallets.

Are there restrictions on the use of Social Security numbers?

States across the country have enacted laws to restrict the printing and display of SSNs on identification cards, the mailing of SSNs, and requirements to send SSNs on the Internet. Four states have gone further, restricting businesses from collecting or insisting on an SSN as a condition of the purchase or lease of goods or services.

When did the Social Security death index start?

1962—the beginning of the Social Security Death Index. 1965—medicare was signed into law, issuing in a new wave of citizens over the age of 65 applying for a social security number who had not done so previously.

Is the Social Security card issued by Woolworths?

Mrs. Whitcher compares the Social Security card “issued by Woolworth” with her own real card of the same number. The card that started all the fuss! The New York wallet manufacturer was not the only one to cause confusion about Social Security numbers.

What does the serial number on a Social Security number mean?

Geographic data is not indicated by the group number. Similar to the Group Number, the serial number does not have any special significance to the SSN owner’s location. The serial number ranges from 0001 to 9999 and is assigned consecutively within each group number.

What are the first three digits of a Social Security card called?

3. The first three digits of a Social Security number are known as the area number. Area numbers assigned before 1972 reflect the state where you applied for your number; otherwise, they are based upon the Social Security card application mailing address zip-code.

How many people have a Social Security number?

With the Act’s passage, the Social Security Administration (SSA) needed an efficient means to track each citizen’s earning records over a lifetime and the social security number was born. Today, social security numbers have been issued to more than 450 million people ( SSA.gov ).