Credit Loan > Identity Theft > Avoid Identity Theft - Think Twice About Giving Out That Social Security Number

Identity Theft SSN

Today I saw a story in the local news about a woman that was arrested as part of an identity theft ring. This woman had been working for a hospital, and had been stealing about 20 patient records a week for over a year and a half. The police found hundreds of original and forged documents in her partner’s storage building, and it looks like the proceeds from the ill gotten gains had been used to buy drugs for the manufacture of methamphetamine. Upon checking in, the hospital currently requires patients to show a government issued ID and provide their name, address, date of birth and Social Security Number (SSN). Since this incident, the hospital is re-evaluating their need for all this information on patients, particularly the SSN. This is the same question many businesses should be asking.

There are many circumstances when the law requires you to provide your SSN. Since its inception, however, the use of the SSN has become subject to mission creep. It has been used as a convenient, unique identifier by many kinds of business including hospitals, credit reporting agencies, property management and utility companies. According to the Privacy Act of 1974, all governmental agencies are required to disclose the legal requirement to provide your SSN when utilizing their services, but this same requirement does not extend to the private sector. The only instances when you are legally required to provide your SSN are when dealing with government agencies, employers and banks.

While private businesses other than your employer or bank ask for your SSN, you are not legally obligated to provide it to them. Of course, they are not obligated to provide their product or service to you if you do refuse to supply them with your SSN either. The SSA advises consumers to be cautious about sharing their SSN and recommends that people ask the following questions when their SSN is demanded of them:

• Why is the SSN needed?

• How will the number be used?

• What are the consequences of refusal?

• What law requires the number to be given?

Often, the easiest way to avoid giving out your SSN is to simply leave the spot blank on any application form that asks for it. If challenged, ask if an alternative identifier can be used. If it is still demanded of you, be armed with these four questions and be sure that satisfactory answers are provided before you give them the number that leaves you so vulnerable if it falls into the wrong hands.