Social Security Number Tracking

If you discover your identity has been stolen, act right away. First, contact your financial institutions, credit card companies or other establishments where you know an identity thief used your personal information (like utilities, landlord or government benefits agencies). Dispute any fraudulent transactions. Place a fraud alert on your credit reports and think about freezing access to your credit information. You may also want to file a report with local law enforcement. 

Next, close any new accounts fraudulently opened in your name. Change account login information or passwords. It may be wise to file an identity theft report with the Federal Trade Commission. This important step may help with the next stage: correcting your credit report. Using your identity theft report, dispute any fraudulent information on your credit reports resulting from identity theft with the credit reporting companies.

If you think your Social Security information has been compromised, review your credit reports to check for any fraudulent activity. CreditWise provides you with free, regular access to your TransUnion credit report, and you are able to access your other credit reports for free once per year (or more under certain circumstances) via AnnualCreditReport.com.

You can also consider placing a fraud alert on your credit reports, which requires businesses to verify your identity before issuing new credit in your name. Each of these steps may make it more difficult for fraudsters to open new credit in your name.

Getting a new Social Security number shouldn’t affect your credit history or score. Your credit report includes a variety of personal information, such as physical past addresses, in addition to your financial accounts. In general, whenever you have a change in your personal information (including to your SSN),  it may be a good idea to inform lenders, creditors, and credit reporting agencies. Be sure to remain vigilant for signs of potential fraud or identity theft and take action promptly.

An incorrect Social Security number on your credit report could be a sign of fraud, but it also may just be a typographical error. Be sure to review your credit report carefully to see if there are any other indicators of fraud, such as unfamiliar names or addresses, or accounts that you didn’t open. If a Social Security Number variation is the result of a typographical error, you may contact the creditor that reported the incorrect number and request a change to their records.