I have a friend who insists on carrying her Social Security card in her wallet. I have (repeatedly) tried to warn her of the dangers of that practice, and I have explained to her that the Social Security card is the single biggest piece of information that could do damage if someone gets a hold of it. So, for her, what to do if a Social Security card is stolen may come true sooner rather than later.
You can take many steps to protect your precious information, including your Social Security number. If you take the precautions, you may never have to worry about what to do if your Social Security card is stolen.
Here is the number one way you can protect your Social Security card, as well as all your important information:
- Never carry your Social Security card in your wallet. Why would you want to anyway? You don’t need it. You can memorize the number and put the card away.
- Put your Social Security card, important documents, and unused credit cards safely. That safe place may be a safe deposit box or a safe in your own home.
These small waterproof and fireproof safes don’t cost very much, but they can be very valuable in protecting your information. If possible, bolt the safe to the floor, so it is difficult to steal. You can get these on Amazon for a relatively reasonable price, a smaller FIREBOX, and SAFE here.
- If you have any insurance or Medicaid cards that use your Social Security number as your identification number, you need to be careful. Unlike your Social Security card, which doesn’t need to be carried with you, you need to carry these insurance cards with you.
For that reason, it is important to make sure that the ID numbers on those cards, which are your Social Security number, will be kept safe.
One thing you can do is make a copy of the front and backside of your insurance or Medicaid card. Then you can black out or cut out the last four digits of your social security/identification number. Then keep that piece of paper in your wallet or cut out both sides and tape or glue them together to make your own “card.” Since 2020 the government has required newly issued cards to NOT use your Social Security number as the ID number on the card. For more on this, please visit HERE.
The government and top insurance companies are starting to realize that this can put your Social Security number in danger and will eventually do away with using these numbers as ID numbers.
You can use this method to protect that number and still have your cards with you until they do.
If your Social Security card is lost despite all your best efforts, you need to contact all three credit bureaus since the number can be used to steal your identity. Also, contact your local police department and file a report about your loss. And to prevent any issues that would arise from a stolen Social Security card and to ward off identity thieves, please read out previous posts on Credit Freeze here.
Hopefully, the information in this article will help you keep your Social Security card and identity from being lost or stolen. And failing that will help you know what to do if your Social Security card is stolen.
If you need any assistance on using a credit freeze or steps that you can take to protect yourself better, feel free to contact me directly if you are in or near the Metro-Nashville area. If you are outside middle Tennessee or prefer to work with someone closer to you, reach out to a qualified fee-only Registered Financial Consultant near you.
