Social Security Number on The Dark Web

[boilerman]

My son just e-filed and had a choice to give a PIN or last year's AGI. He used AGI (adjusted gross income) and the return was accepted. No PIN.

Not the same kind of PIN.

 

[explanade]

Can someone get your previous tax returns with just your social security number?

 

[FindingForward]

Anyone hear if the IRS is still planning on launching a new login method/account at some point? They were going to become part of login.gov which would have been wonderful, since I have no luck w/IDme. But then they decided against that.

 

[986racer]

I’m in the process of having to establish my identity with the IRS. It seems someone has used my identity to claim my tax refund this year. After multiple phone calls that required proving I am who I say I am, I’ve obtained a scheduled interview with my local IRS office. It’s been quite the headache. Sheesh!

I’m happy that when I also had someone use my identity to claim a refund that I actually owed money that year. I often wondered about how difficult it would be if I actually was due a refund

 

[GenXguy]

Anyone hear if the IRS is still planning on launching a new login method/account at some point? They were going to become part of login.gov which would have been wonderful, since I have no luck w/IDme. But then they decided against that.

I think they decided against it because login.gov didn't meet their security requirements and that login.gov was supposedly working towards that end. But who knows?

 

[imnontrad]

Glad you got a PIN for IRS. I have had that set up for almost 10 years.

Make sure you have your "My SS" account set up at ssa.gov with two-factor identification.

Set all your cell phones to have a SIM lock enabled (you will have to Goole this for your phone model and carrier)

Set ALL CCs plus your checking to alert you for any withdrawal/charge over $0.01.

If you do not have a locking mailbox, consider getting a PO box and have all your mail delivered there.

if you need to mail a check, see if you can write it with a special pen that cannot be "washed" and deposit the envelope directly into the slot insidethe post office (not even in the box outside or your own mailbox).

See if the local police will take a report about this. Even if they cannot determine who it is, you will be on record as having reported this in case someone comes after you.

Double-check that the credit freezes are still in place. However, there are MANY more credit reporting agencies - https://clark.com/credit/smaller-credit-bureaus-credit-freeze

Many times, the person committing identity theft has had some sort of connection with the victim -a neighbor, relative or coworker. This is extreme but here is one example - https://www.malwarebytes.com/blog/n...entity-theft-leads-to-imprisonment-for-victim

 

[Koolau]

Aproximately 10 years ago I froze my credit bureaus and added fraud alerts. Last September someone opened an EIN # with my name and address. After months of letters to IRS business division, I canceled it. I have been alerted by credit monioring service that my SS# is on the dark web thanks to the AT&T data breach. I have placed an IP Pin on my SS# so no one can file a fraudulent tax return with my SS#.

Is there anything else I can do to block my SS#?

Can someone open an EIN with just your name and address? What kind of scam can they pull with a fraudulent EIN#?

How do you check to see if your info is on the "dark web?"

 

[catii]

Try this, Ko'olau: https://www.experian.com/protection/free-dark-web-email-scan/

 

[Koolau]

Try this, Ko'olau: https://www.experian.com/protection/free-dark-web-email-scan/

Yeah, unfortunately, it would cause me to break my self imposed rule of not entering my SSN on the web. BUT, thanks. I'll do some research of this site and perhaps contact the credit bureaus.

 

[imnontrad]

How do you check to see if your info is on the "dark web?"

https://www.malwarebytes.com/blog/news/2024/04/how-to-check-if-your-data-was-part-of-the-att-breach

 

[JOBO]

Banks often require an EIN to open a business account registered to an LLC.

Secure Your Social Security Account
If you created an account with the SSA after 2021 https://secure.ssa.gov/RIL/SiView.do you can secure it with ID.ME otherwise plain old TOTP
There can only be one account per SSN so doing this prevents anyone else from claiming yours.
You cannot do this while credit freezes are in place. You can also lockdown online access with an “e-services block” and/or visit an office to add a direct deposit lock.

There are now 5 majors to Freeze Your Credit Reports with.
These are free and should take less than 20 minutes to do all 5 online.
No one including yourself will be able to open a new account when a freeze is in place but you need to close all 5 doors. This will also help reduce the information that data brokers can see because it prevents the CRA from selling your data to them. The freeze can be temporarily or permanently undone online in 20 seconds with the PIN they’ll issue.

When applying for new credit, ask the lender which service they use so you can lift a freeze. Do it at least an hour before you submit the application. Most lifted freezes allow you to enter an expiration date for the lift so the freeze will be automatically reinstated.

1. https://www.transunion.com/credit-freeze
2. https://www.experian.com/freeze/center.html
3. https://www.equifax.com/personal/credit-report-services/credit-freeze/
4. https://www.chexsystems.com/ Banks and CU accounts KYC for bad checks and closed accounts
5. https://forms.consumer.risk.lexisnexis.com/#/freeze-self Mass mailing data for pre-screened credit card offers

After its frozen, insurance companies will still be able to review your credit report for underwriting purposes so reports of “my insurance went up after I froze my credit” are no longer valid. Existing creditors will still be able to raise or reduce your credit limit. Unfortunately you’ll also still receive prescreened offers of credit unless you opt out.

Don’t let yourself get tricked into paying for a credit lock or a fraud alert. Those aren’t freezes and will still allow the CRA to sell your data

Dark Web Monitoring Services are a Scam
By definition, the “dark web” consists of sites that aren’t indexed by search engines so there’s no point in paying for it to be searched. What you really want to know is if your PII is in any encrypted multi-terabyte data dumps. Even if a service could read these there’s nothing they can do about it that https://haveibeenpwned.com/ doesn’t.

Next opt out of data brokers by following this Data Removal Guide https://inteltechniques.com/workbook.html

 

[JOBO]

My son just e-filed and had a choice to give a PIN or last year's AGI. He used AGI (adjusted gross income) and the return was accepted. No PIN.

I used to use AGI but in 2010 I starting using a self-assigned a 5-digit fixed valued PIN.
in 2021 I also enrolled in the annually renewing 6-digit Personal ID PIN program. Its open to anyone and no longer limited to fraud victims.

Once enrolled I must log in every spring to get a new 6-digit PIN.

I use both PINs to e-file. You don’t need a PIN when you amend your previous tax returns.
Any e-filed tax return without the correct PIN will be rejected.
Any paper return without the correct PIN will be subject to extra scrutiny

https://www.irs.gov/identity-theft-fraud-scams/get-an-identity-protection-pin

 

[easysurfer]

I received an email recently from Discover card saying they found my SSN on the dark web. Discover does a free scan I believe monthly. I'm assuming my SSN got there also from the ATT breach.

 

[waynezo]

"I received an email recently from Discover card saying they found my SSN on the dark web. Discover does a free scan I believe monthly. I'm assuming my SSN got there also from the ATT breach."

That is how mine got there. Now ATT has informed me if I don't change my autopay from my credit card to my checking account they will charge me $5 more a month. They are using a third party vendor called "Trusty".

 

[Rianne]

All I have to do is google my name. My brother's names, my previous addresses, other family members names, their addresses, ages, my past employment appears. Although my birthday is not correct. Privacy is a thing of the past. If all that information is found in a simple google search, why would it be hard to get a SS#? My comment on my Aunt's obituary, who passed away 3 years ago appears in the google search with my name.

I protect myself the best I can online. Criminal hackers are scattered all over the world. They hide their identities and their governments support their activities. What does the dark web even mean?

Edit: Adding one more thought. Who knows if the lady/man at the SS office isn't selling our SS #s to hackers? Or the customer service agent you call at any service you have? They have access to all your information.

 

[aja8888]

All I have to do is google my name. My brother's names, my previous addresses, other family members names, their addresses, ages, my past employment appears. Although my birthday is not correct. Privacy is a thing of the past. If all that information is found in a simple google search, why would it be hard to get a SS#? My comment on my Aunt's obituary, who passed away 3 years ago appears in the google search with my name.

I protect myself the best I can online. Criminal hackers are scattered all over the world. They hide their identities and their governments support their activities. What does the dark web even mean?

Edit: Adding one more thought. Who knows if the lady/man at the SS office isn't selling our SS #s to hackers? Or the customer service agent you call at any service you have? They have access to all your information.

At one time not too long ago, your Medicare number was your social security number. No wonder SS numbers are all over the web.