Sites that only ask for name, date of birth, and place of birth can help you find out if a person’s information has been stolen and do not require the person to provide their social security number.
Data theft: US social security numbers leaked
A hacker group called USDoD claims to have stolen 2.7 billion records of Americans’ personal information, including their Social Security numbers and mailing addresses.
Fox – LA
An estimated 2.9 billion records, including names, addresses and Social Security numbers, could be affected after National Public Data confirmed a massive data breach affecting the personal information of millions of Americans.
Despite privacy concerns, however, Americans should not offer to give their Social Security number to websites just because they claim they can help determine whether they are a victim of a recent data breach.
Social Security fraud is nothing new. Any day, someone can receive a call where the agent on the other end claims to be an FBI agent with a warrant for their arrest, demanding that they provide their Social Security number, bank information, and other personal information to solve the case.
But what if a website claims it can help someone determine if their data was stolen in the latest data breach?
Some websites claim to be able to help victims determine if their information has been stolen. This may not be a scam, but you should still avoid giving out your social security number and other identifying information to random websites that may not be legitimate resources.
Here’s what you should know:
Why you should be concerned: What can we do about the massive violation of public national data protection regulations?
Why shouldn’t you share your social security number?
Banks, schools, new employers, accountants, and landlords require Social Security numbers. However, you should not give out your Social Security numbers to people, companies, or websites you don’t trust.
Experts like James E. Lee, chief operating officer at the Identity Theft Resource Center, “strongly advise against” entering your Social Security number on websites that can verify whether your personal information has been compromised or stolen, CNBC reported.
With this number and some identifiable information, scammers can do a lot of things, according to AARP, such as:
- Open credit accounts in the victim’s name
- Use the victim’s information to receive unemployment benefits
- Circumventing the victim’s benefits
Some websites have a good reputation and allow users to check if their data has been stolen without having to provide a social security number.
According to CNBC, the following websites are legitimate and do not require you to provide a social security number:
- NPD.pentester.com – Only requires first and last name, state and year of birth.
- NPDBreach.com – People can search for their information using their full name and zip code, social security number, or phone number.
Credit reports may contain signs of fraud
If you’re concerned about identity theft, you can check your credit reports for signs of fraud, according to the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
Credit reports help people identify unknown or unexpected activity. According to CNET, people can request a credit report once a year from the following agencies:
If reports reveal suspicious activity, people can place a credit freeze to protect themselves from identity theft and further misuse of stolen information, according to the Federal Trade Commission.
Julia is a trends reporter for USA TODAY. She has covered a variety of topics, from local business and government in her hometown of Miami to technology and pop culture. You can connect with her on LinkedIn or follow her on X, formerly Twitter, Instagram And TikTok: @juliamariegz
