Frauds & Scams, Online Services

Protecting Your Social Security

September 15, 2017 • By

Reading Time: 2 Minutes

Last Updated: November 3, 2023

man and woman sitting at table, looking at laptop

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

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Comments

  1. james c.

    how can I recover my user name and password?

  2. Vonda V.

    Hi Katherine. Thank you for letting us know about these calls. Unfortunately there are some Social Security impersonation schemes that we are warning citizens about.

    Suspicious calls should be reported to the Office of the Inspector General at 1-800-269-0271 or online at http://www.oig.ssa.gov/report. You can also report these scams to the Federal Trade Commission through a new site specific to Social Security scams here http://www.identitytheft.gov/SSA.

  3. Katherine

    I just received a voice mail saying my social security card is void because of fraudulent activity, the phone call came from DeKalb MS 601-793-4596

  4. Elisea T.

    I have received a-voicemail on my cell phone from SSA threatening to block my pension if I don’t call back this number 1+6192151134.

  5. lara c.

    I have a location in th US despite everything I can’t build up a record. I just have a check card, no w2 or other assessment doc am outside the best gun safe reviews and endeavoring to set up commu ication through the Porto Rico US Consulate. Be that as it may, the email address given by their site to people in general to get in touch with them gets no rply, mistake message

  6. Lucas H.

    I have found this article is very useful with lots of valuable information about SSN.

    https://worldwidenoveltydocumentation.com/

  7. ALLISON S.

    At what point can a person get a brand new social security number?

  8. FLAVIA D.

    I currently live outside the US and receive a retirement benefit. I would like to know of a way to request that my (international) postal code be used in postal communications with me. I almost had my benefits cancelled due to the fact that the first copy of a questionnaire sent to me was not delivered!! All Soc. Sec Admin postal mail to me DOES NOT INCLUDE MY LOCAL ZIP CODE !!!
    please help.

    • Ann C.

      Hi, Flavia. We are sorry to hear about your experience. For your security, we do not have access to your private information in this venue. We ask that members in our Blog community to continue to work with our offices with specific questions. Since you live outside of the United States, you can contact your local Federal Benefits Unit for assistance. Also our Office of Earnings & International Operations web page provides more information to assist our customers living abroad. We hope this helps.

  9. Cecilia M.

    I tried to create an account and ive used the reentry # but it says my social security number is incorrect. Im filing for retirement benefits. Please help me correct if necessary. I will be out of the country for several months.

    • Luis A.

      Hi Cecilia. We are sorry to hear that you are having difficulty accessing your personal my Social Security account. If you are still unable to access your account or encounter another problem with your personal my Social Security account, you may:
      •Call us at 1-800-772-1213 (TTY 1-800-325-0778), Monday through Friday from 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. At the voice prompt, say “helpdesk”; or
      •Contact your local Social Security office. We hope this helps.

  10. Roderick T.

    How about using video marketing method?

    https://m.4bc.co/video/117

Comments are closed.