identity theft
Social Security Numbers Can Be Changed…But Be Careful!
There are legitimate reasons to change one’s Social Security Number (SSN), and Social Security Administration regulations provide a process for doing so. Among the valid reasons are identity theft, mistaken dual issuance of a number, and “religious or cultural objections…
A Question of Identity
Digital Identification is on the horizon. In the interest of sharing only the information necessary to a particular transaction. The Department of Homeland Security Science and Technology is working on a way to use a digital id on your phone…
How scammers try to steal your Social Security Number
Do you know what is one of the fastest-growing crimes in America? Correct its identity theft, topping the list of consumer fraud reports filed with the FTC and other enforcement agencies. Your Social Security number is your identity. According to…
House Opens Markup Work on Two Bills Aimed at Identity Fraud Protection
U.S. House Committee on Ways and Means began markup work on two bills introduced to guard against identity theft. The two bills are: H.R. 3784, the “Improving Social Security’s Service to Victims of Identity Theft Act”, and H.R. 3667, the…
The Importance of Adequate SSA Funding to Fight Identity Theft
Follow-up commentary from last week’s Ways and Means Social Security Subcommittee hearing on Social Security number (SSN)-related identity theft continues to show up in media outlets. Here are remarks from the testimony of Retired IAM General Secretary-Treasurer and current Alliance…
The Importance of Social Security Numbers in Preventing Identity Theft
You may have wondered why we frequently post articles on this site dealing with the scams and fraud activities preying on Americans in general but seniors in particular. That’s because this is a pervasive issue, with new scam opportunities popping…
The most effective tactics for protecting your identity
There have been 95,901 total reports of government imposter scams alone in 2022, according to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC). The Social Security Administration is the most impersonated federal government agency resulting in $46.37 million in total losses. Kurt Knutsson…
The Capital One Breach…Understanding the Implications
By now, the massive security breach at Capital One is old news for many, leaving the 100 million or so affected U.S. customers to wonder what will happen next. Well, the investigations are starting, and the media pundits are aggressively…
Synthetic Identity Fraud and Social Security Numbers–Yet Another Battle to be Fought
It sounds like a strange title for a vulnerability–“synthetic identity fraud”–but it’s not really that far-fetched. In simple terms the concept is used to describe situations where a “genuine social security number is used alongside a false name and date of…
It starts tomorrow…get set and beware!
Published plans to begin releasing the new Medicare identification cards April 1 are widely known, especially by the crooks and scammers who have already begun their campaign to snare unsuspecting seniors into their web of fraud. A post today by Susan…