Frauds & Scams, Online Services

Protecting Your Social Security

September 15, 2017 • By

Reading Time: 2 Minutes

Last Updated: November 3, 2023

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At Social Security, protecting your personal information is more important than ever. We continue to evaluate and improve our robust cyber-security program to safeguard your information. The thing is, we can’t do it alone. You can help us secure your information by taking one of these steps:

  • Open your personal my Social Security account. A my Social Security  account is your gateway to many of our online services. Create your account today and take away the risk of someone else trying to create one in your name, even if they obtain your Social Security number.
  • If you already have a my Social Security  account, but haven’t signed in lately, take a moment to log in. We’ll send a one-time security code to your cell phone or to your email address each time you sign in with your username and password. The security code is part of our enhanced security feature to protect your personal information. Keep in mind that your cell phone provider’s text message and data rates may apply. If you suspect identity theft, report it to our Office of the Inspector General. 
  • If you know your Social Security information has been compromised, and you don’t want to do business with us online, you can contact us to 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 us and ask us to unblock it after you prove your identity. This resource is available to certain victims of domestic violence or identity theft and those who need extra security.

We will continue to do our part to protect what’s important to you. And we’ll continue to advise you on how to protect yourself.

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About the Author

Jim Borland, Acting Deputy Commissioner for Communications

Jim Borland, Acting Deputy Commissioner for Communications

Comments

  1. Michelle L.

    Correct benefit amounts n backpay

  2. Jon F.

    We ask for help. This man is wanted by family !!! White man – Walter Shkrobut (Volodymyr Shkrobut). This is his real name. His real SSN A # ***-**-****. He is Ukrainian. Born on May 24, 1960 in Ukraine. He has been living in Chicago by 2011. Then until 2016, he lived at the Union Pier, Michigan, with Lida Marta Ruzhitska. After her death, he was expelled from home and went to Erwin, Tennessee. He came there with a woman named Deena Lynette Armstrong, born October 10, 1968. Walter had problems with the psyche. He had an incident with a police officer and an immigration officer. He was suspected of terrorism. In the fall of 2016, a decision was made to deport him. To prevent the deportation, Deena Armstrong told the police that Walter had left her and flew to Ukraine. The truth was that she hid Walter until the spring of 2017. After that she bought him fake documents. Walter is not capable of committing a crime. He has a weak will and psyche. Walter knows English badly. Deena Armstrong used it. She manipulated it. Psychologically pressured him and intimidated him. Forbade Walter to communicate with his family. It qualifies as human abduction. Deena forced Walter with counterfeit documents to get a bank loan and social payments. By the fall of 2017, they have been living in Erwin, TN. On Boz 1211. Now they moved to another place. This may be Flagstaff, or another city in the Unica County. Homeland will ask to find this man. I’m attaching photos that will help identify these people. This information was transmitted to Chicago, New Buffalo, Johnson City, Nashville and Erwin Police Department. Walter Schrubut has problems with the psyche. He became a victim of the scammer of Deena Armstrong. His phone number is 7738169121 does not answer, or it is answered by strangers. Phone number if Deena 2693697087. We ask you again, everyone who can help with this search.

    ↵Contact Us
    ↵1501 Dowell Springs Boulevard
    ↵Knoxville, TN 37909
    ↵(865) 544-0751

  3. Karen F.

    P this morning I received a notice from Social Security telling them that they might be cutting my payments back are Social Security checks taxable I’m going on until 1998. I believe

  4. Patti

    I tried to use the my social security on-line services and apparently did not answer the security questions correctly so I can’t register for these services. I was told the questions are provided by Equifax so I contacted them to find out what the problem was and gave them more information then I should have and received no answer to my questions. Not sure how to check to see if my information is now tainted but If social security wants to go green they need to find a better way!

    • R.F.

      Hi Patti. 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!

  5. Maria E.

    How to get a new direct deposit mastercard? Which my social security goes into.

  6. marlyn g.

    I have not received my information about 2018 benefits,our new mailind address is 10815 w Sun City Blvd Sun City AZ,

  7. Sujung h.

    This morning, I checked the email from apple that I bought some app for about $70 that I never bought. So I pressed the cancel button and followed the instructions and it asked ssn and card info.
    I already put all the info and realized it is something weird.

    A few hours later husband got an email that weird transaction had been makd at UK, because my husband is the primary card holder.
    My card company didn’t authorized it but I’m worried about the SSN that I put this morning on the weired site together with the card number.

    After My husband got the transaction allert, I checked the apple email and it turned out some kind of Fraud site.

    I’m so worried if my Ssn has been hacked someone..

    What should I do?

    It’s been already almost 12 hours has been passed I put my Ssn on that fruad site and I just opened my social account hoping it is helpful.

    • R.F.

      If you think someone is using your number, there are several actions you can take. Please visit our Frequently Asked Questions web page for information on this matter. Thanks!

  8. marsha

    Please consider changing not being able to create an account while having a credit freeze/fraud alert. Why eliminate my option to monitor social security activity only because I dont want my credit abused? Please dont direct me to FAQ page, it only says what I know, it cannot be done. Not why. What does one have to do with the other? Especially with all the data breaches lately. Now I must put a internet block on social security account, when I would have preferred to monitor myself for inappropriate use. Please reconsider this limitation. I doubt I am the only one with their credit frozen that desire an account.

  9. Rebecca L.

    Iam so dumb. I got on a telephone call tosomeone who said I could get my medicines thru the mail. It was a medical house company.I gave them info about everything even the last four digits of my s.s.card. They hung up on me and I’m afraid they will use my number to get other things like pills or meds or even in my checking acc. How do i get free of thisproblem….

  10. Jeannette S.

    I am collecting my social security, I recently read I could collect on my ex’s SS. We were married for 13 years I never remarried. Can I still apply to receive part of his social security?

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