Frauds & Scams, Online Services

Protecting Your Identity is Important to Us

October 24, 2016 • By

Reading Time: 1 Minute

Last Updated: April 7, 2023

domestic-violence

Social Security is committed to protecting your identity and information. We often say that our online services are convenient, cost-effective, and secure to use.

We know that in certain instances, like for victims of domestic violence, completely blocking access to your information may be necessary. If you are a victim of domestic violence or identity theft, Social Security may be able to block access to the electronic record we keep on you.

You can block any automated telephone and electronic access to your Social Security record. No one, including you, will be able to see or change your personal information on the internet or through our automated telephone service. If you block access to your record and then change your mind in the future, you can contact Social Security and ask us to unblock it.

It is an unfortunate reality for many Americans that guarding against the release of your personal information sometimes becomes a necessity. If this is the case for you, or someone you know, Social Security can help.

In most cases your Social Security number is with you for your lifetime, but when evidence shows you are being harassed, abused, or your life is endangered, we can assign you a new one.

For more information, please read our publication, New Numbers for Domestic Violence Victims. You can also visit our blog article, Protecting Your Social Security Number from Identity Theft, for ways to help us safeguard your information.

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About the Author

Doug Walker, Deputy Commissioner, Communications

Deputy Commissioner, Office of Communications

Comments

  1. Arun N.

    This is a very good site.I believe this effort by govt should continue with coordination with all like minded good goverenments of the world as it would help protect and understand various cultures and people who obey different country’s law .Thanks

  2. Arun N.

    I have been a victim of being joblessness and no water for irrigation”inspite of having good leaders of our country the difficulty for income also does exists.

  3. tammy

    “Social Security is committed to protecting your identity and information. We often say that our online services are convenient, cost-effective, and secure to use”. Thanks for that. I wonder if the scammer that stole my identity was able to get social security benefits under my name? If they did, I would love to talk to them and find out how they did it because trying to file for benefits the right way has never worked out. “Tony”, the person that post here all the time is correct in a lot of what he has to say. It may upset a bunch of people, but you all know that he is right in what he is saying.

    I am 45 years old, a mother of three older children and physically disabled ( I was born with cerebral palsy ). I’ve never collected one red cent of money from the Socialist Security System, even though I have applied several times and they find me disabled.

    Technically, I am an “adult disabled child” (please look this up, it is NOT SSI or SSDI) but have never been able to secure any benefits whatsoever from the Socialist Security system, even under that program because I got married to an “Able bodied person”. The Socialist Security system is too busy paying benefits to some people who scam the system and worrying about adult disabled children (who they pay benefits to off of a parents record) marrying an able bodied person. This gives them the justification to cut off benefits to the adult disabled child because the husband (in theory) can now support the disabled person. This theory works great, if your husband is rich and you have no need for money but what it actually does, is to force two adults (one disabled one able bodied person) to live off of one income. In the real world, the socialist security system is forcing adult disabled children to only marry other disabled persons (and NO able bodied persons) at the threat of loosing any and all benefits that they are entitled to.

    If you are a physically disabled person (an adult disabled child) and you happen to marry an “able bodied person” you will be loosing out on a lifetime of benefits, all because of a one word “rule” that prohibits you from marrying an “able bodied person”. Best of all, they never tell you about their “Rule” so that they can justify cutting off any benefits that you may be due.

    Because you are physically disabled (adult disabled child) and you choose not to marry another adult disabled child or disabled person drawing off socialist security, you WILL LOOSE ANY AND ALL BENEFITS FOR LIFE. This means that the SOCIALIST SECURITY system is TELLING YOU WHO YOU ARE ALLOWED TO MARRY and who you are
    NOT ALLOWED TO MARRY! It is a discriminatory act “rule” and should be ILLEGAL!

    Even though I am permanently and totally disabled, if I marry an “able bodied person”, somehow that marriage makes everything ok and I am no longer considered disabled (in the eyes of the socialist security system). Magically (because I married an able bodied person), the pixie fairies come down and cure my disability, because now I can just go out and find gainful employment, no one will discriminate against my physical disability and everything will be grand, right? Somehow magically, marrying an able bodied person makes my physical disablility dissappear and now I am cured, right? WRONG!

    The issue is a special “Rule” that the Socialist Security System uses to discriminate against “certain” people. If you are a “physically disabled person” (AKA-certain people) and happen to marry an able bodied person, then the SOCIALIST SECURITY system will use special “Rules” to legally discriminate against you and deny you benefits, even if you appeal online.

    The SOCIALIST SECURITY system has caused me a lot of economic hardship all because I married an able bodied person. The SOCIALIST SECURITY system thinks someone who is physically disabled (permanently and totally disabled) marries an “able bodied person”, that somehow magically they are cured of their physical disability and two people can survive off the able bodied persons income. WOW, talk about a bunch of bureaucratic idiotic thinking, that somehow this would not cause a financial hardship….. amazing.

    The rules that the Social Security Administration uses to legally discriminate against persons who are “Adult Disabled Children” who happen to marry an able bodied person, are discriminatory. This is loosely referred to as the “marriage penalty” but I call it exactly what it is, a legal form of discrimination.
    I firmly believe this rule, is an act of bias, prejudice and discrimination against people who (by no fault of their own) are born disabled and happen to marry an able bodied person

    Please write your Congressional Representative and tell them to end this modern day form of Legal Discrimination. In this day of fairness and equality, there are still some people suffering from an outdated and oppressive bureaucratic rule.

    (PS. notice how the only thing any of these SOCIALIST SECURITY workers ever say are quotes of the rules or processes, like a worker drone. They are unable to address any topics that fall outside of their rule books). Typical bureaucracy and bureaucratic responses, like trying to argue over lost change with a vending machine!

  4. Karen F.

    This is a good site. Thanks.

  5. Rspano

    I had to change banks for my direct deposit. received an email fro SSA that the change was successful. then, I got a letter from them asking me to supply my address as they couldn’t find me?! How did the letter reach me? Then they wrote again and said they couldn’t find my new account but they put $123.90 of my SSA payment in my new account. And the rest is out there in cyberspace somewhere,. I tried to get on line but they would not accept my password. I called, but the wait was 45 minutes. What a racket!

    • Ray F.

      We apologize for the inconveniences. Beneficiaries receiving their payments via direct deposit, must also make sure that we have their correct mailing address on our records, to prevent delays or disruption of their benefits. If you are having difficulties with your personal my Social Security account, please call 1-800-772-1213 for assistance. After you hear “Briefly tell me why you are calling,” say “Help Desk” for help with a my Social Security account. Sometimes we experience higher than normal call volume. Generally, when calling our toll free number at 1-800-772-1213, you will have a shorter wait time if you call later during the day or later during the week. Our representatives are available Monday through Friday, between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m. Sometimes, it might be best to visit your local Social Security office for further assistance. We thank you for your understanding and for bringing this matter to our attention. Please try again.

      • Randi

        Turkis on päätuote, nahka on lihan sivutuote. Itse olen ka¤¶ak-svissyÃajÃl, mutta en silti elä utopiassa, että kaikki ihmiset alkaisivat kasvissyöjiksi. On järkevää, että teuraseläimestä käytetään hyväksi myös se nahka. Sen sijaan turkiseläimiä kasvatetaan vain ja ainoastaan sen turkiksen takia. Henkilökohtaisesti en päälleni pistäisi turkista enkä turkissomisteita. Nahkatuotteita ostan harvakseltaan, mutta esim. kengissä se on kyllä lyömätön materiaali. Nahka on keinomateriaaleja huomattavasti kestävämpi, ja nahkakenkiä pystyy helpommin korjauttamaan suutarilla. Osan nahkatuotteista ostan myös kirppareilta.

      • Connie

      • Milly

    • Priest

      Oui c’est ce que je me dis que je vais voir le signe qui bogue sil se présente… On est loin de l’histoire d’amour encore parce oui ca existe messieurs un homme qui attend de voir si ca clique vraiment avant d&reruo;embrasssq!!! Et c’est parfait de même!

  6. Joanne

    Is it a legal requirement to change your name on the SS card when you get married?

    • Ray F.

      Thanks for your question Joanne! There is no legal requirement to change your name when you get married. You can show whichever name you would like on your social security card. However, if you decide to change your name, you need to tell Social Security so that you can get a corrected card. If you are working, also tell your employer. If you do not tell us when your name changes, it may delay your tax refund and prevent your wages from being posted correctly to your Social Security record. To see what documents you will need to change your name on your Social Security card, go to Social Security Number and Card.

  7. Rosie

    They have 4 years to change over to medicare cards without our social security number. According to link above that applies to new cards being issued, for the rest of us they have another 4 years to provide us with new cards, so it could take 8 years – not acceptable.

  8. Susan i.

    Is this article supposed to make me feel safe? You say you are committed to keeping our information safe, but then say the only way to do it is to block access, so that I don’t even have access to it? Don’t you do anything to protect our information? Only if I am a victim of domestic violence or identity theft, then the SSA “may be able to block access to the electronic record we keep on you.”?? I don’t understand your statement that “It is an unfortunate reality for many Americans that guarding against the release of your personal information sometimes becomes a necessity.” Isn’t guarding my personal information ALWAYS a necessity to the SSA? This article needs some serious further explanation.

    • Ray F.

      Hi Susan, we take protecting the public’s personal information very seriously. You can rest assured that your Social Security records are confidential and that we do not disclose information about any individual to other agencies or private companies, unless we have proper authorization or consent. The article makes reference to our online Block Electronic Access service as a resource for those who need extra security. Thanks!

    • Lisa

      I hear ya Susan,
      As I was applying for an account with the SDFCU in D.C. recently, I was told by them that I could not be electronically identified. When I called them to inquire why, I was told that I was not the only one using that number!! So, if I have to have my information ‘blocked’, how can I manage to find another institution to pick me up as a client since Merrill Lynch is dropping me due to FATCA??? Sometimes I really have to wonder about all this stuff. Now, as busy as I am trying to find a new home for my money, I am having to deal with filing all sorts of forms to various government institutions to prove my identity is being stolen.

  9. fermina p.

    hi , i like the idea to be protected i created an account and forgot my password , and i have not be able to log back unto my account

    • Ray F.

      Hi Fermina, if you are having difficulties with your personal my Social Security account, please call 1-800-772-1213 for assistance. After you hear “Briefly tell me why you are calling,” say “Help Desk” for help with a my Social Security account. Thanks.

  10. Diana

    Can someone tell me when Medicare will stop using Social Security numbers on the card? We are told to not carry our Social Security cards with us, but the Medicare cards use the very same numbers.

    • Joe G.

      • KIRBY M.

        HHS has 4 years to transition from using SS#s; as long as it took us to win WWII.

      • Bill M.

        The Joe Graff post on 10-24 has the information on the link that explains it. Just don’t stop at the 4 additional years for new Medicare recipients. Present Medicare recipients will be eight years.

    • Sharon C.

      Yeah that needs to change

      • January

        Hi there, only just grew to be alert to your site thhougrout The search engines, and discovered to be in fact useful. I am just planning to stay away from belgium

    • Ray F.

      Hi Diana. The Medicare program, including Medicare cards, is managed by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). Here are some suggestions to keep your personal information safe while using your Medicare card.

Comments are closed.