(Newswire.net — January 16, 2018) — In the current digital age, the presumption of losing your purse or wallet – and with it, your Social Security card – may appear like a low to no-risk occurrence. Most of us have experienced the agony of a stolen or lost wallet and adding that to lose your Social Security card doubles the suffering. While there are many ways to avoid losing or misplacing your Social Security card, such as never keeping the card in your pocket or wallet or locking it in a safe place, we still tend to lose our Social Security cards. Getting a replacement card is quite a process which starts by notifying the Social Security Administration and filling form ss 5.
We will address the 4 things to do if you lose your social security card.
1. Protect your identity
To know whether somebody stole your Social Security number, ensure you keep a keen eye on your credit report. Fraudsters may use your Social Security number to request for new credit cards under your name, and you may accrue liability without realizing.
Your credit score may plummet as a result. You may receive calls from irate creditors bewildered as to why you haven’t cleared your debt.
You are allowed to obtain one complimentary report from all national credit bureaus – TransUnion, Equifax, and Experian – annually. A credit report remains the most reliable way to establish if anyone is unlawfully utilizing your Social Security number.
Upon receiving your report, examine it intently. Look for unfamiliar and recently taken credit in your name.
Report suspicious activity to the Federal Trade Commission or file a complaint with Internet Crime Complaint Center. Also, it’s essential to report the scam to either Experian, TransUnion or Equifax.
Contact the Internal Revenue Service to prevent identity crooks from filing tax returns and collecting the refund owed to you.
2. Request for a new Social Security number
If you can prove someone used your Social Security number you may apply for a number via the Social Security Administration. Ensure you can provide evidence for your claims and its effects on you, failure to which your application for a brand new Social Security number will be turned down.
For instance, you can present evidence of a credit report listing various credit cards you didn’t apply for or a letter sent by the IRS notifying you of a tax filing that was rejected because of suspicious activity such as someone other than you else filing for returns.
3. Better safeguard your card
Upon replacing your lost Social Security card find a safe place where you will lock it away whenever you don’t need it, and if possible store in a fireproof strongbox. Also, we suggest you keep your card in an airtight and waterproof sleeve.
4. Place a fraud warning on your card
Request a security breach by going online or by mail or phone. To add an alert, notify any one of the three national credit reporting companies, and they’ll alert the others.