An identity thief with a stolen identification number may look for a quick payout through getting access to your credit, financial accounts or government benefits such as unemployment claims fraud. First, contact your financial institutions, credit card companies or other establishments where you know an identity thief used your personal information (like utilities, landlord or government benefits agencies). Place a fraud alert on your credit reports and think about freezing access to your credit information. Discovering that your Social Security number or other sensitive data has been leaked on the Dark Web can be a scary experience, but there are steps you can take to minimize the damage. By freezing your credit, reporting the breach, monitoring your accounts, and taking advantage of fraud protection services, you can protect yourself and prevent identity theft.
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However, your SSN can also be compromised by malware lurking on your computer, fake forms on unsafe websites, through mail theft, or if you lose your wallet and it falls into the wrong hands. Even if the person who stole your SSN and listed it on the dark web hasn’t already used it to steal your identity, anyone who buys or discovers it can. Someone with your SSN may access other sensitive information or commit various forms of fraud that affect your finances, Social Security, healthcare, or legal situation.
This means it can’t be accessed by regular web browsers such as Google Chrome or Safari. If you want to find anything there, you’ll need a special dark web browser such as Tor. Once you file the reports, keep them safe for when you may need them in the future. You can reach out to your local police department on a non-emergency number or contact the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center. While removing your information from the dark web is all but impossible (we’ll cover why below), there are steps you can take to prevent criminals from exploiting your SSN. Because most people don’t use the Dark Web, it’s hard to know for sure whether your SSN has been compromised — or if someone is using your identity.
Change Your Passwords And Enable Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA)
- This added layer of complexity makes it attractive to cybercriminals who want to operate under the radar.
- This means it can’t be accessed by regular web browsers such as Google Chrome or Safari.
- In fact, according to Javelin Strategy & Research, identity fraud cases amounted to $28 billion and impacted 27 million Americans in 2021.
- Sign up for our newsletter and learn how to protect your computer from threats.
In extreme cases, you may consider requesting a new SSN from the Social Security Administration. However, this is a difficult process, and a new SSN won’t necessarily solve all the problems related to identity theft. Finally, if your SSN is on the dark web, it means that it’s also probably floating around on the regular internet as well. This means that anyone who knows where to look could potentially find it and use it to take over your financial life. If someone has your SSN, they can use it to open new credit lines or apply for loans in your name. This can ruin your credit score and leave you with thousands of dollars in debt.
This includes businesses (stores, banks, insurance companies, etc.) as well as government agencies such as the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) or Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV). If your email was found on the Dark Web, you could be at risk of identity theft or fraud. One of the lesser known ways that scammers target you is by convincing your phone provider to send them a new SIM for your account. Known as a “SIM swap,” this scam gives fraudsters full access to your phone number — which means all calls and texts go to them, including 2FA codes and password reset links. Instead, you should try to figure out what additional information has been compromised — such as your credit card numbers, home address, or phone number — so you can mitigate the damage. When your personal information is leaked in a data breach (or stolen through hacking, malware scams, or phishing attacks), it most likely turns up on Dark Web marketplaces.
What Are The Consequences Of Having Your SSN On The Dark Web?
This type of attack is known as a “SIM swap” and allows fraudsters to intercept your phone calls and texts—including 2FA codes and password reset links. A credit freeze is free and will restrict access to your credit file and prevent lenders from extending any more credit. Inform the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) that your SSN has been found on the Dark Web and ask to file an identity theft report. Even if your information hasn’t been used maliciously yet, filing a formal claim with the FTC can help you if you need to dispute fraudulent charges, accounts, or crimes.
Check Your Credit Report And Bank Statements
Identity theft and fraud protection for your finances, personal info, and devices. If your data has been stolen in a data breach, your SSN has likely been posted onto the Dark Web. Your SSN is a valuable piece of data for scammers and it can be easily linked to more of your personally identifiable information (PII), such as your address, phone number, and date of birth. If the worst should happen, all Aura plans include round-the-clock U.S-based support and up to $1 million in identity theft insurance to cover eligible losses and expenses. If you’re a previous victim of tax-related identity theft and the IRS has fixed your tax issues, they will mail you a CP01A Notice with a new IP PIN to use each year.
How Do I Know If My SSN Is On The Dark Web?
Alternatively, you can use breach monitors to inform you what personal information, like your phone number or email address, has appeared on the darknet without needing to access it yourself. Ultimately, the best thing you can do to protect yourself from identity theft is keep your sensitive information private, secure, and off the Dark Web. If a scammer has already used your SSN to open new accounts, contact the companies immediately. For example, if someone has used your SSN to take out a mortgage, notify the lender or financial institution as soon as possible to let them know that the application was fraudulent. The exposure of your Social Security Number on the dark web isn’t just a breach of your privacy—it can have far-reaching consequences that affect your financial stability, credit history, and personal life. Knowing the potential impacts can help you grasp the seriousness of the situation and the importance of taking swift, corrective action.
Join LifeLock Standard to monitor the dark web for your SSN and get alerts of potential fraud. You can freeze your credit via the credit companies, Equifax Credit Freeze, Experian Credit Freeze, and TransUnion Credit Freeze. Some financial companies, such as Credit Karma, can also help you freeze your credit. Filing a police report is often necessary, especially if specific fraud instances are identified or creditors require it. When filing, bring a copy of your FTC Identity Theft Affidavit, government-issued photo ID, proof of address, and other theft evidence.
Utilities Security Freeze
Records include people living in the United States, United Kingdom and Canada. We’ve put together this handy guide to help you understand the basics of the dark web, dark web monitoring, and what you should consider doing next to better protect your identity. He said that if you suspect you are a part of the breach, the first step is to freeze your credit to minimize the damage. National Public Data released details last month of an incident believed to involve a third party trying to hack into data in late 2023. Potential leaks of certain data involved names, email addresses, phone numbers, social security numbers and mailing addresses in April and this summer.
Follow the tips above to help protect your SSN from being stolen and listed on the dark web. Then join LifeLock Standard for dark web monitoring that alerts you if your information is compromised. Next, you should lock your SSN by either contacting the Social Security Administration (SSA) or self-locking it using your E-Verify account. Locking your SSN is necessary when your SSN is on the dark web because it prevents anyone, including you, from changing or accessing your Social Security record. This way, if a cybercriminal sells your SSN to other cybercriminals, no one will be able to use your SSN to commit fraud or identity theft. Check your email to see if you received a message from a company with which you have an account regarding a data breach.
- If you’re not closely monitoring your credit card activity, the charges can quickly get out of hand.
- Once your SSN has been found on the dark web, you should report it as stolen to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC).
- However, it is crucial to be aware that identity thieves who gain employment using your name could file a tax return on your behalf and prevent you from filing your taxes on time.
- When there’s a fraud alert on your report, creditors can see that you might be the victim of identity theft and are instructed to verify your identity or contact you before extending credit in your name.
- But the investment company can contact this designee if they see suspicious activity in an account and can’t reach its owner.
- This will add another layer of security as creditors will have to take extra steps to verify it’s really you before extending any credit.
And if your SSN is used to file a fraudulent tax return, you could end up owing the IRS a lot of money. If this happens, contact the company immediately and report the fraudulent activity. Many companies offer credit monitoring plans that help combat credit-card hacking. For example, AAA offers ProtectMyID, a complementary credit monitoring service for all AAA members.
How Can You Find Out If Your SSN Is On The Dark Web?
You should review your credit report every year so you can spot any suspicious activity that you didn’t initiate, such as new accounts or lines of credit. Most creditors will send you an alert when a purchase has been made or a payment is due. These notifications can help you keep track of your credit card transactions at all times. Next, you’ll want to file an identity theft report with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC). The dark web might seem like a mysterious place, but it’s relatively simple to safeguard against the risks of your sensitive information leaking there.
