Staying Fit
Scammers would love to get their paws on your Social Security number, which they can combine with other personal details they've obtained about you to open credit accounts, collect unemployment insurance, circumvent your benefits, commit crimes and unleash a whole lot of misery in your name.
That's why the Social Security Administration and privacy and security experts issue stern warnings about keeping not only Social Security numbers under wraps except when necessary, but also the W-2s, 1099s and other documents they may appear on. Similar precautions apply to your driver's license, insurance and medical IDs, and other information that in the wrong hands can bleed your finances and wreak havoc.
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Trust, verify the recipient
Some people and organizations have a valid reason to receive such documents, including a new employer, your accountant, a bank, a landlord or a school. Even then, though, proceed with caution. Resist surrendering the information to practically everyone else, no matter how innocent their request seems.
Be extremely wary of providing your Social Security number to someone who has called you. You should verify the identity of the person you are speaking with if you didn't reach out directly.
Just don't do so by calling back a provided phone number or clicking on a text link. Moreover, unless the answer is obvious — the accountant you've been using for years to prepare your tax returns — ask a would-be recipient why they want the information in the first place and how they intend to secure it. Also ask what will happen if you decline to give out the information.
"Some businesses continue to use Social Security numbers as a means of authenticating customers or simply as a practice they just never let go of,” says Kathy Stokes, AARP's director of fraud prevention programs who also is head of the AARP Fraud Watch Network. “Consider pushing back and asking if there's an alternative."
Email is a no-no
If you're satisfied the stranger you are dealing with is who they say they are and has a legitimate need for the information, the next step is to figure out how to safely provide it to them. It's often inconvenient to hand-deliver financial, tax or employment records, especially during a pandemic.
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