Fact Sheet 113
Should I Change My Social Security Number?
A Question Often Asked by Identity Theft Victims
The purpose of this fact sheet is to help you make an informed decision – should you get a new Social Security Number (SSN) or will a new SSN create more problems than you have right now?
Please note that the ITRC does not recommend that you change your Social Security Number.
If there is no other option but to change your Social Security Number contact the ITRC before you do so.
We will educate you about the before and after process of the number change.
1. The vulnerability of the newly issued Social Security Number is not significantly
different from the compromised number, unless the Social Security Number holder
scrupulously protects it. Unlike the measles, becoming an identity theft victim
does not provide immunity to becoming a victim again, in a completely unrelated
situation. Clearly, the Social Security Number is one of your most valued, and
valuable, possessions. Don't entrust it to the care of, or expose it to, anyone with
whom you wouldn't gladly share your money, jewelry, auto, or other property.
problems associated with the compromised number will be remedied any faster, if
at all.
through Social Security Administration (SSA) computer systems to the new
number. The new Social Security Number will be cross-referred to the old number
for integrity reasons. SSA does not void, delete or cancel Social Security
Numbers.
disadvantage of your Social Security Number , a special indicator will be placed
on your prior Social Security Number record. Although your old Social Security
Number will remain cross-referred on SSA’s records to your new number, this
indicator will prevent the old number from verifying when Social Security Number
verification is requested by employers, State agencies issuing drivers’ licenses and
identity cards, and certain other governmental agencies. Also, you cannot get a
replacement Social Security Number card on the old number.
security number. This letter needs to state you will no longer be using the old
number and to start to refer the new number. This is a critically important
document when you are changing everything else over.
assigned to two different people, and consequently assigns a new number to one
of these individuals, the numbers are not cross-referred.
SSA does not have authority to control the use of the Social Security Number by
other agencies, organizations and credit bureaus. These organizations may have
records under the original Social Security Number. The SSA is neither
responsible for, nor can SSA control, how these organizations use the original
Social Security Number. The following are examples of some, but not all, such
agencies/organizations:
information (for example, the individual's name, year of birth, address(es), and
spouse's name) to identify a record. When the individual uses a new Social
Security Number, he/she is not guaranteed a fresh start, particularly if the other
identifiers remain the same. This is not a way to hide from poor credit history you
have caused. A credit bureau may combine the credit records from the old Social
Security Number with those from the new Social Security Number.
new problems. Even when the old credit information is not associated with the
new Social Security Number, the absence of any credit history under the new
Social Security Number may make it more difficult for an individual to get credit,
continue college, rent an apartment, buy a big-ticket item, open a bank account,
get health insurance or get a job.
Social Security Number or applied for credit. Up to 1/3 of all credit reports contain
misinformation not attributed to identity theft. When misinformation or an
apparent fraudulent account appears on an individual's credit record that does not
always mean someone else misused that individual's Social Security Number.
Some credit bureau records are incorrect because of errors either caused by the
reporting company (ie. department store) when providing the information or by the
credit bureau when adding the information (e.g., an Social Security Number was
incorrectly keyed or the records of two individuals with similar names were
combined).
Although SSA does not routinely assign new numbers, they will do so when a victim requests a new Social Security Number and provides evidence that he/she has tried to resolve the problems brought on by identity theft but continues to be disadvantaged by the Social Security Number misuse. Disadvantaged by misuse of the Social Security Number means that the misuse has caused you financial or personal hardship within the past year. The following information comes directly from the SSA (as of 4/07). It is provided to give you an idea of the strict standards you must meet for consideration as a candidate for a new Social Security Number. Please keep in mind that even if you are eligible for a new Social Security Number, it may not be the best choice for you.
Examples of Social Security Number misuse by a perpetrator:
Examples that are not Social Security Number misuse:
Examples of disadvantage by misuse of the Social Security Number:
Examples that are not disadvantage by misuse of the Social Security Number:
SHOULD I OR SHOULDN’T I?
All case histories have been written by actual victims who received new Social Security Numbers. Except in Case 3, their real names have been changed to preserve their privacy.
Case 1: Banks refused to deal with Andrew because he had a creditless Social Security Number.
With nearly $80,000 of bad debts, more than 30 delinquent accounts and a court judgement against my wife due to identity fraud, our attorney suggested we try to get new Social Security numbers. After showing all the data we had (credit reports, false applications, affidavits from employers and friends, proof of actual address against the address where the credit report claimed it occurred) we were granted new Social Security numbers.
To be honest this action has brought almost no benefits. In fact, it caused a lot of problems. It was easier to get a mortgage with bad credit (albeit at 10.5% interest) rather than a creditless Social Security Number. At work the change in my Social Security Number affected my ability to do payroll direct deposit, cancelled my telephone card, changed my medical policy and my 401K allocation.
At home it meant I could not get cheaper car insurance, even though I have no tickets or accidents. It also meant banks refused to deal with me and one opened up fraud investigations on me as they could not get a credit record for me (they also refused to return my deposit that opened the account). One of the credit bureaus cross-referenced the old and new Social Security numbers (they refuse to say how they did this) and so all the old bad credit moved to the new numbers. In the meantime most of the bad credit has been removed from the old Social Security numbers, mostly due to constant calling of the companies fraud departments.
In retrospect it would have been better not to get new Social Security numbers. It is always possible to prove the bad credit isn’t yours and most companies were very sympathetic to the phone calls that you have to make each day/week/month. It is not that easy to prove you are a good credit risk if you have no credit -- no matter how much you call.
Case 2: Debbie was young and had not yet built up a credit history so changing the SSN worked well for her.
While I was in college, someone applied for and used a fraudulent duplicate California Driver’s license under my name. By the time I found out, she had been using it for almost a year and there had been a warrant for “my” arrest for nearly 6 months. Had I been pulled over for any reason in that time, I would have been taken to jail on the spot. A DMV search proved that the “new photo” on my record was of a person of a distinctly different ethnic descent. Additionally, the investigators found that mine was not the first identity stolen by this same woman. Under the circumstances, they issued a new driver’s license (after questioning me for a while to make sure I hadn’t allowed her to use it). At the time, I thought that was the extent of this person using my identity.
It wasn’t until about 6 months later when my roommate moved out and I tried to change the utilities to my name, that I found out she had been using my Social Security number as well. A look at my credit reports showed that she had set up at least 3 telephone numbers in the Northern California region, to which collect calls were made from a women’s prison. The bills totaled over two thousand dollars over a two-month period. Additionally, she had attempted to get a bank loan and a number of credit cards. Fortunately for me, at the time I had no work history and no credit cards of my own, and thief was unable to get approved for any credit or loans.
There were two factors that ultimately helped me prove that I was not the person using my Social Security Number. First, I had already received a new driver’s license number and a letter from the DMV explaining the criminal activity by the woman in Northern California. Second, all of the Social Security Number activity was also happening in Northern California. Because I was in school and maintaining a residence in Southern California, I was able to prove that I could not have been in Northern California doing all of the stuff the thief was doing.
Using supportive letters from the credit reporting companies, the utilities and the DMV along with my original birth certificate, I was able justify the need for a new Social Security number.
By the time I got everything cleared up, I was 22 years old, and as I mentioned earlier, I had no work history or credit history at the time. I feel that this was a definite advantage in being able to get rid of the old Social Security Number, because I was not losing anything personal to me; I had not yet begun to build my credit. The whole ordeal lasted about two years, and I don’t know to this day how she got my information. I can only guess that it was from a credit card application that I sent in to Nordstrom, but that I never heard back from. I know I’m lucky to have had it happen at a time that I could change all of my “public identity records” and move beyond the damage that the thief caused.
Case 3: A clerical error mixed Scott’s Social Security Number with that of an accused murderer.
Changing my Social Security Number based on poor advice was absolutely the worst thing that I could have done. I thought it would distance myself and my family from an accused murderer that had several DUI arrests. This person became associated with my SSN because of an order entry error (supposedly) that linked me to that man. It was then distributed through the police network and the credit reporting agencies.
No matter where the problem came from, I was now this man's alias and my jobs (potential and existing) were ruined. This cascaded into a bad line of credit due to my inability to obtain regular employment and eventually my marriage failed. When I discovered the problem, it was too late to repair the damage quickly enough and I was advised (quite poorly might I add) that I should change my Social Security Number.
At the time, I felt lucky and thought that my life would now turn around. I was completely wrong. My credit records now appeared to have a fraudulent Social Security Number and the alert could only be seen by the creditors and not myself. Now I have problems making the transition between the numbers and have a great deal of trouble with my credit. Having changed my Social Security Number now requires continual explanations and makes everyone suspicious of me. Furthermore I will never know until I retire if all of my benefits will transfer. My entire future is an unknown.....my life is in shambles. I hope and pray that I can help others in my situation so that they do not have to lose everything like I did. Especially their families. My transcripts can be looked up on MSNBC's web site under a search of Scott Lewis or Identity theft. (permission given to ITRC to use victim’s name)
THE POSITION OF THE IDENTITY THEFT RESOURCE CENTER (ITRC):
In most circumstances ITRC does not recommend obtaining a new Social Security Number. The following are some of the exceptions to this rule. Obviously, each case must be evaluated by its own merits.
Should you decide to get a new Social Security Number or if you have already gone through the process, please contact ITRC about six months after it goes through. Information about your experiences will add to our body of knowledge and assist us to better advise others. Your testimony will be treated with complete confidentiality per our privacy policy.
ADVICE IF YOU DECIDE TO PROCEED:
You must apply in person at your local Social Security Administration office. They will help you complete a statement explaining why you need a new number and the application for a new number.
The following information has been provided by a victim of ID theft who was able to change his Social Security number without it affecting his personal or financial status.
Please be advised that it took a lot of work, years of time, extensive research and that your final results may not be the same. Also, if the person who stole your information is one of those who is able to learn about your new Social Security Number (workplace ID theft, for example) you have just placed your new number in jeopardy.
“Managing a New Social Security Number”
By Theodore Wern, Esq.
A few victims of identity theft have chosen to change their Social Security number in an effort to repair their credit and distance themselves from an identity thief. I have been a victim of identity theft and I chose to change my Social Security number. It was an extremely risky decision and I would NOT recommend it to others. However, for those of you who have changed your number or who plan to do so, below is an outline of the strategy I employed after I received my new number. The primary goal of this strategy was to replace my old Social Security number on all of my personal and financial records. It was a difficult and time-consuming process, but after years of hard work, it was ultimately successful.
First, I wrote a letter to each of my creditors (I simply looked at my credit report for a quick checklist) stating that I have changed my Social Security Number and that all future credit reporting MUST be made under that new number. For verification, I attached a police report and a copy of my old and new Social Security card. I sent a similar letter and set of attachments to my employer and to my college. Send all correspondence certified, return receipt requested.
Second, I sent letters (with attachments) to each of the three major credit reporting agencies Experian, TransUnion and Equifax. Among other things, I instructed the reporting agencies to reject all future uses of my old Social Security Number as fraudulent. Initially, the agencies would not reject my old number because they still showed credit records with that number. However, when all creditors began reporting under my new number, the credit agencies would (upon my vehement request) erase credit entries containing the old numbers. Once all the references to my old number were erased from my credit report, any attempted use of that number would be rejected because there was no credit history to support it. Finally, I changed my driver’s license and any other cards displaying my old Social Security Number.
One more thing I would strongly suggest (but that I did not consider at the time) is to request from the Social Security Administration a letter indicating that your number was changed from “XXX-XX-XXXX” to “YYY-YY-YYYY” due to fraud. When I changed my number, I only received a new card without any supporting correspondence. Such correspondence could be invaluable when a prospective creditor or employer is staring at you with suspicion and disbelief (as they often do).
I would also suggest that you consider the timing of your transition to the new number. In my case, I received new number in February of 2000. I immediately began to send the above letters in order to prepare for the transition. However, I was moving to another city in May of that year, so I waited until then to actually start using the new number in day-to-day affairs. For every new account I established in the new city (utility, bank, etc.), I would use the new number. I never had to change the numbers on the old accounts because they would be paid off and/or cancelled anyway.
Of course, the above strategy is not foolproof, and you must be prepared to deal with many unexpected obstacles. The first problem I encountered is that some creditors continued to report under my old number, or in some cases, under BOTH my old and new numbers. The effect of dual reporting can be even more damaging because it creates the appearance of twice the amount of debt. My biggest problem arose from the credit reporting agencies. Even after I sent my notice letters, the agencies simply opened a new data file and kept the old one alive. Effectively, there was two of “me,” and a credit search under the new number would usually pull both files, thus leading to many embarrassing and confusing situations.
I must point out that it is somewhat misleading to suggest that the credit reporting agencies will actually “do” anything in response to a notice letter. Unfortunately, the agencies are often passive participants -- they simply report what they get from creditors. They prefer not to expend any resources sorting or verifying the information they receive. Furthermore, their computers are “flexible” systems that are designed to locate a particular credit file even when the creditor reports imperfect data.
For example, if the creditor flips a number in a debtor’s Social Security Number or date of birth, or misspells a person’s name, the reporting agency’s computers will nonetheless match it to the most similar file. Despite this flexibility, it was still possible in my case to distance myself from the old number. As discussed above, once all references to the old number were erased from my credit report, the old number would get rejected. In fact, about 6 months after I changed my number, I accidentally used the old number in applying for a credit account. Thankfully, the number was rejected as invalid.
Another important point I must emphasize is that once you have received your new number you cannot, and should not, use your old number under any circumstances. Although the accidental presentation of my old Social Security Number had the effect of confirming that my old number was dead, such action could have been perceived as fraud on my part. According to my conversations with the Social Security Administration (which were not independently confirmed), you never officially rid yourself of an old SSN. The Administration will always have that number on file and it will always be yours. Therefore, at least according to the Administration, I was probably not acting illegally by accidentally using my old number because it still belongs to me. However, if I were to use an old number to enrich myself, I SHOULD and WOULD be guilty of fraud.
As you can see, the process of managing a new Social Security Number is extremely complicated, and in many cases, dangerous. However, if you have already changed your number, the above strategies might be helpful to you as a last resort. But remember, the transition is not a smooth one and you must be vigilant with creditors and reporting agencies. If they fail to report or record properly, you must remind them (preferably in writing) that you are the victim and you have a right to a clean record.
Once again, however, I would not recommend that anyone change their number, except under the most extreme circumstances. Even under such circumstances, the current credit reporting system is not adequately designed to protect those with new numbers. Although I hope to change that someday, someday is NOT today.
Good luck!
RESOURCES: 1-800-772-1213; TTY number 1-800-325-0778; www.ssa.gov Social Security Administration Fraud Hotline: 1-800-269-0271 or oig.hotline@ssa.gov to report any SSN fraud Social Security Administration Publications: www.ssa.gov No. 05-10064, "When Someone Misuses Your Number" No. 05-10002 "Social Security: Your Number and Card."
Copyright April 2007, Identity Theft Resource Center®, all rights reserved.
UNDER WHAT CIRCUMSTANCES MAY I APPLY FOR A NEW SSN?
CASE HISTORIES FROM THOSE WHO DID
Thank you.
Social Security Administration General information:
Federal Trade Commission: 1-877-IDTHEFT, www.consumer.gov/idtheft
Solution 11 Social Security Change Check List
Created by ITRC.
We thank the Social Security Administration for their input in this fact sheet.
This fact sheet should not be used in lieu of legal advice.
Any requests to reproduce this material, other than by individual victims for their
own use, should be directed to ITRC.