For instance, residents in Oakland found their SSNs exposed following a city-wide data breach, underscoring the reality and closeness of this threat. If a data breach does lead to fraud or identity theft, contact the credit card company, bank or lender as well as the three major credit bureaus. Social security information is often used for financial fraud, particularly related to insurance and credit cards. Suspicious banking activity is one of the first signs that something might be up.
Enable Multifactor Authentication On All Your Accounts
You’ll also want to remember to unfreeze or temporarily “thaw” your reports when you legitimately apply for a new credit card or loan. Keep an eye on your bank, investment, crypto and credit card accounts for any unusual activity. One of the first things you can do is change any potentially compromised passwords to help keep people from taking over your accounts.
Lock Your SSN
Afterward, stay vigilant and continue monitoring your accounts and credit reports regularly. If you notice any suspicious activity, report it immediately to the relevant authorities and financial institutions. The leaked data, totaling 277GB, can be used for identity theft and fraud. Although the breach does not necessarily affect 2.9 billion unique individuals (due to multiple records per person), it still poses a significant risk. The information can be used to open fraudulent accounts, apply for loans, or even commit tax fraud.
Strengthen Your Online Security
Continue reading to learn how to tell if your SSN is on the dark web and how to protect your privacy and identity. He also warns against answering your password recovery questions correctly. Hackers likely know your former street, teacher and pet names, Wolfe said. So you’ll want to answer these questions differently to prevent anyone other than you from logging in. “Any password easy for you to remember is easy for a cybercriminal to guess.” Wolfe said.
We gather data from the best available sources, including vendor and retailer listings as well as other relevant and independent reviews sites. And we pore over customer reviews to find out what matters to real people who already own and use the products and services we’re assessing. If your SSN was leaked and is potentially being used for identity theft, you can apply to the Social Security Administration to change it. Although finding your SSN on the dark web can be scary, it’s not the end of the world.
This will require anyone trying to sign in to your accounts to have not only your username and password but also an additional form of authentication. Some examples of MFA include a PIN, a code from an authenticator app, a fingerprint scan or even your specific geographic location. Without having access to your MFA, a cybercriminal will not be able to log in to your accounts if you have enabled it as an extra form of security. Paid services like Aura and Lifelock provide more comprehensive coverage and typically range from $7 to $15 per month for individual accounts. If you discover that your personal data is on the dark web, there’s not much you can do. Still, there are preventative measures you can take to minimize the consequences.
What Is National Public Data?
They could also receive your expected tax refund or even lead you to pay taxes for income that you did not earn. Therefore, it is essential to take this step seriously and obtain an identity theft pin from the IRS to prevent this type of fraud. It is crucial to have a bank security freeze to protect your identity from being stolen and used by someone else to open a bank account in your name. This could lead to the misuse of your finances or even result in money laundering, causing significant harm to your financial reputation. By placing a security freeze on your ChexSystems report, you can limit access and make it difficult for anyone to open an account in your name.
Massive Scam Spreading Designed To Trick You And Steal Your Money
Mark is a staff editor at Gen who specializes in cybersecurity and identity protection. He aims to help readers learn how to navigate their digital lives more safely. An IP PIN, or Identity Protection Personal Identification Number, is a six-digit number the IRS assigns to help them verify your identity when you file a tax return. You should create one as soon as you discover that your SSN is on the dark web.
- Some credit cards offer credit monitoring and will send you an alert if a new credit line is opened in your name or if your balance changes significantly.
- No one can prevent all identity theft or monitor all transactions effectively.
- There are some simple actions you can take to protect your identity and pocketbook from this national “identity crisis.”
- Due to their nature, most crimes committed using a stolen SSN fall under identity theft.
- For instance, Chase Credit Journey and Capital One’s CreditWise offer dark web surveillance absolutely free.
Lock Your SIM With Your Cell Phone Provider
Credit freezes always sound good in theory, but they can be a time-consuming hassle to manage. If your information is on the dark web and freezing your credit offers you peace of mind, you can do so online at each of the credit bureaus’ websites. If your identity theft protection service tells you an account has been compromised, Wolfe suggests closing the account, or at least changing your password. If a report shows that someone opened a new credit line in your name, it’s highly likely that they did so with a stolen social security number.
Before you panic, there are a few steps you can take right now to protect yourself and your identity. Too bad yours (and mine and every other Americans’) has likely been leaked and sold on the Dark Web. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Beyond the financial and privacy implications, SSN exposure can also cause emotional distress and consume significant time and resources to resolve. Social Security’s Self Lock feature keeps thieves from using your SSN for work authorization, which can help you avoid problems resulting from employment identity theft.
How To Protect Yourself From A Social Security Data Breach
However, there are many free dark web scan tools that you can use without going through your credit card company to see if your PII has been exposed. Typically, dark web scan tools require your email address and possibly your phone number or additional information to function. Once you’ve entered your information, the dark web scan tool relies on its database of billions of PII exposed from data breaches to determine if your PII is on the dark web. Your results should appear instantly or within several minutes, and they may indicate that your SSN was found on the dark web. I would start by contacting each of the three credit bureaus and locking or freezing your credit reports.
In today’s digital age, identity theft and cybercrime have become increasingly prevalent threats. One of the most alarming scenarios for any individual is discovering that their Social Security number (SSN) has been found on the dark web. If you think your SSN is floating around on the dark web, don’t hesitate to check with Aura. Data breaches happen daily and no matter the precautions, there’s no guarantee your private information is safe. Finally, if your SSN is on the dark web, it means that it’s also probably floating around on the regular internet as well.
