Full Notification

Secure Your Identity


10 Tips to Protect Personal Information
1. Do not believe calls, emails, or texts saying you need to pay a fee to collect lottery winnings
or to resolve an issue with the government. Stay up to date on current fraud scams at
oig.ssa.gov/newsroom/scam-awareness.
2. Always protect your Social Security number. Don’t carry your card in your wallet—and keep it
in a safe place at home. Don’t give it out unnecessarily or accidentally.
3. Do not trust caller-ID on your phone; government imposters will use legitimate numbers to
mislead you. Be cautious when speaking with unknown callers, and if they threaten you, hang
up.
4. Never give out your personal information over the phone or in an email to someone who asks for it. Social Security may contact you, but they will have your information in their records and
won’t ask for it.
5. Shred any piece of paper that contains personal information such as your name, birth date, and Social Security number. Identity thieves look through trash for information.
6. Regularly check your financial accounts for suspicious transactions.
7. Request a free credit report from each of the three credit bureaus every year.
Visit www.annualcreditreport.com.
8. Install and maintain strong anti-virus software on all of your computing devices.
9. Make your passwords complicated so others cannot easily access your accounts. Use sentences or phrases that you can easily recall.
10. Never click on a link sent in an unsolicited email or text message—type in the web address yourself. Only provide information on secure websites you trust.

Take Action If You Suspect Identity Theft
• Contact the Federal Trade Commission at www.identitytheft.gov.
• Place a fraud alert on your credit record with one of the three credit bureaus:
— Equifax (1-866-349-5191)
— Experian (1-888-397-3742)
— TransUnion (1-800-680-7289)
• Contact your financial providers (banks, credit card companies, etc.) to flag
irregular transactions.
• Check your Social Security earnings statement online to make sure your reported wages are
correct. Visit www.socialsecurity.gov/myaccount.
• Block electronic access to your Social Security accounts.
Visit https://secure.ssa.gov/acu/IPS_INTR/blockaccess