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ACTIVE CRISIS

I gave my Social Security number to a scammer — what do I do now?

You're in the right place. Giving out your SSN is serious, but there are clear steps you can take right now to protect yourself. No real government agency, bank, or company will ever ask for your SSN over an unexpected call or message.

In an active crisis?

  • Call your bank
  • Call the platform (Amazon, PayPal, MobilePay, etc.)
  • Call local police

Step 1 — Freeze your credit at all three bureaus

Do this now: Place a credit freeze at all three major credit bureaus — Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion. A freeze stops anyone from opening new credit accounts in your name. It is free and does not affect your existing accounts or credit score.

You must contact each bureau separately. Do this online or by phone:

  • Equifax: equifax.com/personal/credit-report-services/credit-freeze/ or 1-800-349-9960
  • Experian: experian.com/freeze/center.html or 1-888-397-3742
  • TransUnion: transunion.com/credit-freeze or 1-888-909-8872

Important: A credit freeze is different from a fraud alert. A freeze is stronger — it blocks new credit entirely. Set up a fraud alert as well (also free), which tells lenders to take extra steps to verify your identity before issuing credit.

Step 2 — Report to IdentityTheft.gov

Do this now: Go to IdentityTheft.gov (run by the FTC). It will walk you through a personalised recovery plan, generate official reports you can use with creditors, and help you dispute any fraudulent accounts.

IdentityTheft.gov is the US government's official resource for identity theft. It is free. The plan it creates is specific to what happened to you.

Important: If you believe someone has already used your SSN to file a tax return or claim benefits, contact the IRS Identity Protection Specialized Unit at 1-800-908-4490. You can also submit an IRS Identity Theft Affidavit (Form 14039) at irs.gov.

Step 3 — Check your existing accounts for fraud

Do this now: Review your bank and credit card statements for any transactions you did not make. Check your credit report for any new accounts you did not open. You can get a free credit report from annualcreditreport.com.

Look for accounts you do not recognise, addresses that are not yours, or employers you have never worked for. These are signs someone may have already used your SSN.

If you find fraudulent accounts, dispute them directly with the credit bureau and the company that opened the account. IdentityTheft.gov has dispute letter templates you can use.

Step 4 — Consider an IRS Identity Protection PIN

The IRS offers an Identity Protection PIN (IP PIN) — a six-digit number that prevents someone else from filing a tax return using your SSN. You can opt in at irs.gov/identity-theft-fraud-scams/get-an-identity-protection-pin.

Important: Tax identity theft is one of the most common ways a stolen SSN is misused. Getting an IP PIN is a straightforward step that closes that door.

Step 5 — Report the scam

Report the scammer to the authorities in your country. You do not need to have lost money to file a report.

You're safer once you've done this: Credit frozen at all three bureaus, IdentityTheft.gov report filed, existing accounts checked, IP PIN requested. These steps significantly limit what a scammer can do with your SSN.

What happens next

A credit freeze means the scammer cannot open new credit accounts in your name while the freeze is in place. You can lift it temporarily when you need to apply for credit yourself.

Keep monitoring your credit report over the coming months. Identity theft can surface weeks or months after the original incident. Set a reminder to check annualcreditreport.com every 90 days.

This is not your fault. Scammers who ask for SSNs often impersonate the IRS, Social Security Administration, or Medicare — agencies that sound official and urgent. You are not alone.

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This page was last reviewed: June 26, 2026.
Crisis pages are drafted with AI assistance, then reviewed line-by-line by the editor, sourced against official reporting authorities, and tested for tone and clarity before publication.