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Five questions to ask to protect your Social Security number

Posted on Jan 3, 2007 by Tom Fragala

Your Social Security number is important, confidential information. You should avoid giving it out unnecessarily. The trick is knowing, as best you can, when it is necessary. Keep your Social Security card and number in a safe place. Never carry your card or number it with you unless you need to show it to an employer or service provider.

Again, be very careful about sharing your number and card to protect against misuse. As you know, your SSN makes it easy for thieves to steal your identity. Giving your number out is voluntary even when you are asked for the number directly. If a person, company, doctor, or agency (anyone really) asks for your social security number, you should always take a moment and think about it. Here are 5 questions to ask (don’t be bashful):

1. Why your number is necessary?
2. How your number will be used?
3. Will it be stored in a safe place?
4. Which law requires you to provide your number?
5. What happens if you refuse to provide it?

You need to take responsibility and decide if the answers to these questions are such that you are comfortable handing over the key to your identity.

Keep this in mind: often a company or medical provider asks for your SSN only in case you don’t pay. Armed with this data, they can provide it to a collection agency, who can make your life a holy hell. Try politely saying, “I prefer not to provide that sensitive information.” Heck, tell them you are an ID theft victim and you are very careful about give the SSN out. Even if you aren’t a victim, maybe that’s one white lie that is worth telling.

Update: I heard that The Privacy Act of 1974 (5 USC 552a) requires that any federal, state, or local government agency that requests your Social Security Number has to tell you whether disclosure of your Social Security Number is required or optional, the law that authorizes them to ask for it, how your number will be used, and the consequences of not providing an SSN. If you are dealing with a government agency, then ask for their privacy act statement, they should provide one for you. Unfortunately, things are very murky when you are dealing with a non-government organization.

Some additional tips can be found here, but I do not vouch for or advocate any of them. Use at your own risk.