What is Social Security Identity Theft Description – social security identity theft definition, United States of America has a Social Security program which is formally known as the Old-Age Survivors and Disability Insurance or OASDI program which is under the jurisdiction of the Social Security Administration. This program came into being in the year 1935 when President Franklin Roosevelt signed the Social Security Act; which since then has undergone numerous reforms.
As the name suggests, this program encapsulates numerous social welfare as well as social insurance plans and programs. It is principally funded through the payroll taxes known as the Federal Insurance Contributions Act (FICA) tax or the Self Employed Contributions Act (SECA) tax, the deposits for which US’s Internet Revenue Service (IRS) collects.
What is Social Security Identity Theft Description
All the citizens of America who are legal residents have a Social Security number as it is required in a number of sectors or areas. The people who work and get paid and whose salary falls into the taxable income bracket are levied the Social Security payroll tax.
This program has been successful in curbing the poverty rate from 40% to less than 10% for Americans who are 65 years or older. Also, it has helped a number of other underprivileged individuals to live decent lives.
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Find someone by Social Security number for free
Since the entire US citizen has their individual Social Security Numbers and is registered with the federal system, hence, it becomes easy to locate, search or trace a person or their whereabouts if you employ the Social Security or SSN search. It is a search tool that aids in searching the people using their saved records.
It is highly efficient to know the latest information on a number of records that require the Social Security Number which is mostly used on a regular basis, hence, the SSN search is a truly useful tool.
So even if the person you are looking for shares the name with hundreds or even thousands of other people, still you will be able to locate them with the help of an SSN search using their unique Social Security Number. The Social Security number is so unique that it can be linked with just one individual and once it is linked, it cannot be delinked or even changed.
What can you find out about an Individual using SSN search?
Once a person gets their Social Security Number, they cannot shake it off or change it in any way, it becomes their permanent “identification mark” and can be used to trace them no matter what their present status is. Once the Social Security Number is typed into the SSN search tool, the following information pops up right away –
- Current name (even if you have changed your previous name) and the history of names/aliases
- Current address
- Date of birth
- Job
This is not all; any other information which is linked with the Social Security number will also be made available using the SSN search.
How is SSN Search a useful tool?
Though people may think that an SSN search is an infringement of their privacy because it reveals a lot about their personal information, still it should be kept in mind that a person’s Social Security number is not easily available to just anyone and the data that is revealed is not too personal but general in nature.
Besides, there are several benefits of using the Social Security number to find out about an individual and it has helped many people in various ways. For instance, a person who is supposed to get into a business deal can check the information regarding the prospective partners to avoid any future losses in the business or getting duped.
A company hiring an employee can check any discrepancies in terms of stolen identities, fraudulent work records, or maybe criminal cases pending against the person to make sure they hire a person with a clean record and who may not possess any threat to the safety of other employees.
You can also monitor the status of your own Social Security number to prevent identity theft. You can see if your number has been used for any fraudulent activity and if anything seems suspicious, and then you can either stop it or report it before things become worse.
Must Read: A Quick Guide To Shield Your Social Security Number
How do Social Security Numbers search for Information?
If you want to find out basic information regarding a person, then you do not have to become a computer expert as it is a pretty simple thing to do. To start, you should have an access to the Social Security numbers’ official database.
To begin a search, you will need access to a credible system that is linked to the official database of Social Security. There are several such tools that are available online and you can use any one of them for your convenience.
Social Security Identity Fraud
A Social Security number is a unique identity that helps you to benefit from several government schemes or use it for several other purposes. It is a vital part of your identity and hence has to be kept safe, especially from the fraudulent people out there who constantly try to steal the identity of other people for their nefarious schemes.
If by any means, a friend gets hold of your Social Security number, then he or she can use your personal information for any number of things that may cause trouble for you. Therefore, it is highly important that you make sure that your number remains out of the reach of an anti-social element. But do not worry, keeping yourself safe from identity theft is simple if you remain vigilant and careful. You can follow these simple steps –
- Never keep your Social Security card with you as you can get mugged or lose your wallets, belonging where you have stored the card
- Always store your Social Security card in a safe location in the home or in the bank’s locker, or any other place that you think is safe to store your other valuables
- Do not leave your Social Security card in your car
But if your card does get lost or someone steals your Social Security number and uses it then you should immediately file a formal complaint with Federal Trade Commission by calling on 1-877-438-4338 or by the Internet. You should also contact the Social Security Office and follow the instructions.