If you think someone is using your Social Security number (SSN), report the identity theft to the Federal Trade Commission through IdentityTheft.gov. The Social Security Administration (SSA) says it does not investigate ordinary SSN identity-theft cases. Use SSA channels for an incorrect earnings record, unauthorized benefit or account changes, or fraud involving Social Security or Supplemental Security Income (SSI) programs. Then match follow-up steps to the type of misuse: the IRS for tax or employment misuse, a credit bureau for credit activity, local police for a crime report, and the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) when the incident involves cybercrime.
Act promptly, but do not assume every step is required in every case. Preserve notices and transaction records, secure your online accounts, and verify current procedures directly with each agency because phone hours, sign-in options and account-block rules can change.
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Choose the right reporting channel first
The agency you contact depends on what happened. Reporting to the wrong office can delay the remedy because SSA separates identity theft from fraud involving its own programs and records.
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|---|---|---|
| Your SSN was used to apply for a loan, get a job, obtain a tax refund or conduct another business transaction | FTC identity-theft report through IdentityTheft.gov | Contact the IRS for tax or work misuse; review credit reports; consider a fraud alert or freeze; file a local police report when appropriate |
| Fraud, waste or abuse involving Social Security or SSI benefits or operations | SSA Office of the Inspector General (OIG) | Use the OIG’s current hotline, fax or mail instructions; anonymous reporting is available through the channels listed by OIG |
| Wages or employment appear on your Social Security earnings record but are not yours | SSA earnings-record correction process | Gather pay statements, tax documents and identity-theft evidence that support the correction |
| Someone changed or may change access, address or direct-deposit information connected with your benefits | Contact SSA through a known official channel | Ask what account-protection block or verification procedure applies before requesting a restriction |
| Online account, email or device was used in the theft | FTC report, plus the relevant account provider’s fraud process | Consider an IC3 complaint for cybercrime and change compromised credentials |
These routes can overlap. For example, a stolen SSN used to obtain a job may require an FTC report, an IRS contact if tax or wage reporting is affected, a correction request to SSA if the earnings record is wrong, and a credit review if accounts were opened. The table identifies the usual starting point, not a mandatory checklist for every incident.
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Report SSN identity theft to the FTC
SSA directs people whose SSNs were used for identity theft to the FTC’s IdentityTheft.gov service. The FTC process asks what occurred and produces a recovery plan tailored to the facts you enter. If you need to speak with an FTC representative, the number identified by SSA is 1-877-438-4338.
Prepare before you submit the report
- Write a short timeline with the date you noticed the problem, the company or agency involved, and every reference or case number.
- Save letters, emails, account alerts, credit-report entries, pay records and screenshots. Keep originals and work from copies when sending documents.
- Record which information may have been exposed, such as your SSN, date of birth, address, account numbers or login credentials.
- Do not send more personal information than the receiving agency requests. Confirm that you are using an official government channel before entering an SSN or financial details.
Complete the report and follow its plan
- Open IdentityTheft.gov and describe the transaction or account activity, even if you do not yet know who caused it.
- Read the recovery plan for the specific type of theft. It may direct you to contact a business, a credit bureau, the IRS, law enforcement or another agency.
- Download or retain the report and plan. Businesses and law-enforcement agencies may ask for a copy when you dispute an account or document a crime.
- Update the plan if new misuse appears. A second incident can require a separate dispute, report or account-protection step.
An FTC report documents identity theft and guides recovery; it does not by itself correct an SSA earnings record, reverse a bank transaction or guarantee that misuse will stop. Those outcomes require separate action with the organization that holds the affected record or account.
Check your Social Security record and correct unfamiliar earnings
Use your my Social Security account to review your earnings history and benefit information. SSA currently lists Login.gov and ID.me as sign-in choices, but setup requirements and availability can change. Use only the sign-in paths shown on SSA’s current website.
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- Review every year of earnings for an employer, pay amount or period when you did not work.
- Check benefit information for an application, payment or change you do not recognize.
- Look for account-contact or direct-deposit details that you did not provide.
An unfamiliar employer can be a reporting error, a payroll mix-up or identity theft. Do not assume the cause until you compare the entry with your own pay and tax records.
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Request an earnings correction
- Collect documents that show the correct employment history, such as Forms W-2, pay statements, employer letters or tax filings.
- Use SSA’s earnings-correction process if the online service offers it for your case.
- If online correction is unavailable or you are not eligible, contact SSA and ask whether an appointment or office visit is required.
- Keep the submission confirmation and copies of every document. Ask how to check the status and whether additional proof is needed.
SSA warns that not everyone can use the online correction service. An office visit may be necessary even when the error is clear. Submit the correction to SSA separately from the FTC identity-theft report; one does not replace the other.
Protect a compromised Social Security account
If someone has accessed your my Social Security account or changed benefit-related information, contact SSA through a phone number or office address you obtained independently from an official SSA source. Do not use a link or callback number supplied in an unexpected message.
Understand the two beneficiary blocks described by SSA
SSA’s 2024 guidance describes two restrictions that may apply to beneficiaries:
- eServices block: prevents anyone, including the beneficiary, from viewing or changing personal information online.
- Direct Deposit Fraud Prevention block: prevents enrollment in direct deposit and prevents changes to an address or direct-deposit information through my Social Security or a financial institution’s automatic enrollment process.
These blocks are protective restrictions, not instant repairs. You may have to contact SSA to make legitimate changes or remove a block after identity verification. Before requesting one, confirm exactly which online and automated-phone functions will stop, how you will receive benefits while it is active, and what SSA requires to restore access.
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Request a broader electronic-access block when necessary
SSA’s 2024 pamphlet says a caller may request a block on electronic access to compromised records through SSA’s national number. The block prevents anyone from using online or automated telephone access until SSA removes it. That includes you: you will not be able to view or change information electronically while the restriction remains. Because procedures can change and the restriction has significant consequences, ask SSA to explain the effect and removal process before authorizing it.
Harden the account after access is restored
- Use a unique, long password for your email and government-account sign-ins; never reuse it on another service.
- Turn on multifactor authentication wherever the account offers it.
- Secure the email account used for recovery before changing other passwords. An intruder who controls that inbox may be able to reset multiple accounts.
- Review profile, mailing-address, phone and payment details after each sign-in.
Match follow-up to the kind of misuse
Tax refunds, wages or other tax activity: contact the IRS
SSA advises contacting the IRS when someone may be using your SSN to work, obtain a tax refund or commit another tax-related abuse. Use the IRS’s current identity-theft instructions and provide the notices, return information or wage details it requests. An IRS report addresses the tax record; it does not correct SSA’s earnings history automatically, so pursue both corrections when both records are wrong.
Credit accounts: review reports and consider a freeze or alert
Order your reports through AnnualCreditReport.com and inspect them for unfamiliar accounts, hard inquiries, addresses or collection activity. SSA’s 2024 guidance says to contact one of the three major credit bureaus to discuss a credit freeze, a fraud alert or both. Check the bureaus’ current requirements because the documents and duration of an alert or freeze can change.
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- A fraud alert asks businesses to take extra steps to verify your identity before opening new credit.
- A credit freeze restricts access to your credit file until you lift it for a legitimate application.
Neither measure removes an existing fraudulent account. Dispute each unauthorized account with the company and the bureau using the documentation those organizations require.
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Important interaction between fraud alerts and my Social Security
SSA’s April 2025 FAQ says a fraud alert may prevent you from creating a personal my Social Security account through the standard identity-services provider. It describes three options: ask that provider whether the alert can be removed, contact a local SSA office by appointment, or use ID.me as an alternative that does not require removing the alert. Do not weaken a credit protection merely to create an online account; first ask SSA which current verification option fits your situation.
Crime at the local level: consider a police report
SSA’s FAQ recommends filing a report with the local police department in the community where the theft occurred. A police report can establish that you disputed the activity and may be requested by a creditor, employer or other organization. Give the officer a concise timeline and copies, not your only originals. Whether police action is appropriate depends on the facts and your local procedures.
Cybercrime: consider IC3
SSA’s 2024 guidance mentions the FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) for cybercrime complaints. Use it when the incident involved online intrusion, phishing, account takeover or another internet-enabled offense. An IC3 submission supplements, rather than replaces, the FTC report and any direct dispute with the affected company.
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SSA OIG warns that a legitimate agency employee will not unexpectedly ask for personal or bank details, threaten to suspend your SSN or seize your bank account, or instruct you to transfer money to “protect” it. Scammers may spoof caller ID, use official-looking letters or know part of your personal information.
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- End the call or message without arguing and do not click links or open attachments.
- Do not buy gift cards, send cryptocurrency, wire money or move funds to a “safe” account.
- Write down the caller ID, number, time, claimed office and exact demand.
- Contact SSA using a known official channel and ask whether any real action is pending.
- If money or account credentials were disclosed, contact the bank or service immediately and include the incident in your FTC report.
A real notice can still require action, but you can independently verify it. Treat urgency, secrecy and payment instructions as warning signs rather than proof that the caller is from SSA.
Reduce routine exposure of your SSN
SSA’s privacy guidance is practical because an SSN is difficult to replace after disclosure. The agency’s OIG publication states: “Always protect your Social Security number.”
Before you provide the number
- Ask why the organization needs the SSN, whether another identifier is acceptable, how it will be used and how it will be protected.
- Provide it through a verified channel, not in an unsolicited email, text or phone call.
- Do not routinely carry the Social Security card. Store it securely and retrieve it only when genuinely needed.
- Limit copies of documents that show the SSN. If a copy is required, ask whether unnecessary fields can be masked.
Dispose of records safely
Shred papers containing SSNs, account numbers, medical details or other personal information. A cross-cut paper shredder can reduce the chance that discarded documents are reconstructed, but it cannot stop misuse of an SSN that was already exposed and is not a substitute for reporting or account monitoring.
Watch for delayed signs
Continue checking SSA earnings and benefit information, credit reports, bank statements and tax correspondence. Keep a dated log of unfamiliar activity and the agency or company contacted. Identity theft can surface in a different system months after the original exposure, so a single clean report does not prove that every record is clear.
A practical order of operations
Use this sequence when you are unsure what to do first:
- Contain access: secure your email and financial accounts, change reused passwords and enable multifactor authentication.
- Document the event: save notices, account details, dates, screenshots and reference numbers.
- File the FTC report: use IdentityTheft.gov for SSN identity theft and retain the recovery plan.
- Check SSA: review my Social Security, identify unfamiliar earnings or benefit changes, and start the correction process if needed.
- Add incident-specific reports: contact the IRS for tax or work misuse, credit bureaus for credit activity, local police for a crime report, and IC3 for cybercrime.
- Ask about protective blocks: if SSA records or benefits were compromised, confirm the effect of an eServices, Direct Deposit Fraud Prevention or broader electronic-access block before requesting it.
- Monitor and follow up: use each agency’s case number, answer requests for evidence and check records again.
The correct response is not to report every suspicion to every agency. Start with the FTC for ordinary SSN identity theft, use SSA for its records and programs, and add the IRS, credit bureaus, police or IC3 only when the facts call for them. Verify current contact information, hours and procedures on official agency pages immediately before calling or submitting sensitive information.
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